The peace negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, held on May 16 in Istanbul, Türkiye, have been paused without reaching a ceasefire agreement. According to reports from the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne and Sky News, the talks concluded abruptly after less than two hours of discussion, with no consensus on a full, 30-day ceasefire. The Ukrainian side expressed frustration with what they described as “unrealistic” demands from Moscow.

Suspilne cited sources revealing that Russia demanded Ukrainian forces withdraw from territories it did not seize militarily as a precondition for a ceasefire. This demand was among several others considered unacceptable by Ukraine. Sky News also quoted a source from the Ukrainian diplomatic circle, highlighting that Russia’s conditions far exceeded previous talks, including insisting on Ukrainian troop withdrawals from its own territory before any ceasefire could begin.

‼️???????????????? During the Istanbul talks, the Ukrainian delegation reportedly refused to withdraw troops from partially occupied territories. In response, Russian delegates allegedly stood up and warned: “Next time, it will be five regions,” possibly referring to Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy… pic.twitter.com/kNeMPFnJWh

— NOELREPORTS ???????? ???????? (@NOELreports) May 16, 2025

The Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, a close aide to President Vladimir Putin, represented a notably low-level group. Moscow also insisted that US officials not participate in the negotiations, further complicating the talks. Russian state media contested reports that the talks had ended, claiming instead that the parties had merely taken a break.

Despite the impasse, one notable outcome was an agreement on a prisoner exchange. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that both sides agreed to a large-scale exchange of prisoners, arranged on a one-thousand-for-one-thousand basis, though the exact timing remains undisclosed. Medinsky later confirmed this agreement in statements to Russian media.

Russia delegation leader Medinsky made key statements: "We have taken note of the request for a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. The negotiations have concluded, and we are generally satisfied. Russia and Ukraine will soon carry out a prisoner exchange based on… pic.twitter.com/Pseg1uMcNr

— NOELREPORTS ???????? ???????? (@NOELreports) May 16, 2025

Following the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside key European leaders - French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk - held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelensky emphasized Ukraine’s readiness to move swiftly toward genuine peace but insisted that if Russia rejects an unconditional ceasefire and continued violence, stronger sanctions must be imposed. He stressed that pressure on Moscow should persist until the war ends.

Polish Prime Minister Tusk echoed this stance, condemning Russia for effectively walking away from the talks and refusing a ceasefire, calling for increased pressure on Moscow.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the talks in Istanbul as a “very small but positive signal,” recognizing that it was the first direct meeting between the two sides in over three years. While welcoming this initial engagement, Merz stressed that only minor diplomatic progress had been made so far and underscored the importance of continuing both military support for Ukraine and diplomatic efforts.

Have an inside view into the Russia-UA talks from a well-placed source. This from Ru delegation head Medinsky says it all: “We don’t want war, but we’re ready to fight for a year, two, three—however long it takes. We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?”

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) May 16, 2025

The background to these talks includes Moscow’s earlier proposal to hold peace negotiations in Turkey, which Zelensky accepted, inviting Putin for a direct meeting that was declined. Instead, Putin sent Medinsky and a delegation of deputy ministers and aides, a move viewed by Kyiv and Western officials as a sign of Russia’s lack of genuine commitment to peace. The Ukrainian side described the Russian delegation as a “sham.”

In Istanbul, the Ukrainian team, including high-ranking officials such as Andriy Yermak, Andrii Sybiha, and Rustem Umerov, held meetings with Russian delegates and separately engaged with U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ukraine and its allies had called for an unconditional ceasefire starting May 12 to pave the way for meaningful talks. Russia, however, maintained that the meeting was a continuation of 2022 discussions, focusing on what it termed the “root causes” of the conflict.

Moscow’s demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the entire territory of the four annexed oblasts - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson - remains a major obstacle. These regions were illegally annexed by Russia following disputed referenda in late 2022, a move widely rejected by the international community. Despite these claims, Russia does not control all of these territories in full.