Ukraine and Russia Agree on Major Prisoner Exchange but Fail to Secure Ceasefire
Negotiations in Istanbul yield agreements on prisoner exchanges but little progress towards ending hostilities.
Delegations from Ukraine and Russia met in Istanbul on May 16, 2025, for their first peace talks since spring 2022. These discussions included discussions on a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, resulting in an agreement for a significant prisoner exchange but no consensus on a ceasefire, which remains a "priority" for Kiev.
The negotiation was led by Ukrainian Defense Minister and a senior Russian presidential advisor, lasting approximately 100 minutes, mediated by Turkish officials at the Dolmabahçe Palace.
Following the talks, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinski expressed a willingness to continue dialogue but indicated that both parties needed to present and detail their visions of a potential ceasefire.
Despite the absence of both presidents—Zelensky and Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, did not attend—the meeting concluded without announcing a ceasefire, leaving both sides with limited hope for substantial progress.
The Ukrainian delegation accused Moscow of making "unacceptable" territorial demands beyond what had been previously discussed.
Nevertheless, Medinski announced an agreement for a "massive" prisoner exchange of 1,000 individuals on each side, anticipated to take place in the coming days, which was emphasized as a positive outcome by Georgian Tykhy, spokesperson for the Ukrainian diplomatic corps.
The idea of a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin was also proposed, representing a potential first since the onset of the conflict; however, Medinski only acknowledged the request without committing to a date or location for such a meeting.
Prior to the talks, Medinski reiterated Russia's intention to discuss the "underlying causes" of the conflict and considered these talks as a continuation of discussions that had been halted in 2022 when Russia maintained maximalist positions that were deemed unacceptable by Ukraine and its allies.
After the negotiations, both delegations departed Istanbul in black vans, with the Ukrainian team slated to leave the city that same day.
At the same time, during a European summit in Albania, Zelensky urged allies to take decisive action and impose sanctions against Moscow if the discussions did not yield fruitful results.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Russia's refusal to agree to a ceasefire, calling it "unacceptable," while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged the significance of the very fact of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Istanbul that same day.
Following talks, European leaders, including those from Ukraine, Germany, France, the UK, and Poland, communicated with U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed his willingness to meet with Putin as soon as logistics could be organized.
The Kremlin concurred, deeming such a summit "certainly necessary."
Last weekend, Putin notably extended an offer for direct negotiations with Kiev, but did not attend the Istanbul meeting despite Zelensky's invitation.
The U.S., alongside European partners, had previously set an ultimatum for Putin to accept a ceasefire before discussions could resume, a demand the Russian leader dismissed, claiming that a prolonged ceasefire would allow Ukrainian forces to regroup and receive Western arms, amidst ongoing Russian occupation of nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The negotiation was led by Ukrainian Defense Minister and a senior Russian presidential advisor, lasting approximately 100 minutes, mediated by Turkish officials at the Dolmabahçe Palace.
Following the talks, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinski expressed a willingness to continue dialogue but indicated that both parties needed to present and detail their visions of a potential ceasefire.
Despite the absence of both presidents—Zelensky and Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, did not attend—the meeting concluded without announcing a ceasefire, leaving both sides with limited hope for substantial progress.
The Ukrainian delegation accused Moscow of making "unacceptable" territorial demands beyond what had been previously discussed.
Nevertheless, Medinski announced an agreement for a "massive" prisoner exchange of 1,000 individuals on each side, anticipated to take place in the coming days, which was emphasized as a positive outcome by Georgian Tykhy, spokesperson for the Ukrainian diplomatic corps.
The idea of a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin was also proposed, representing a potential first since the onset of the conflict; however, Medinski only acknowledged the request without committing to a date or location for such a meeting.
Prior to the talks, Medinski reiterated Russia's intention to discuss the "underlying causes" of the conflict and considered these talks as a continuation of discussions that had been halted in 2022 when Russia maintained maximalist positions that were deemed unacceptable by Ukraine and its allies.
After the negotiations, both delegations departed Istanbul in black vans, with the Ukrainian team slated to leave the city that same day.
At the same time, during a European summit in Albania, Zelensky urged allies to take decisive action and impose sanctions against Moscow if the discussions did not yield fruitful results.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Russia's refusal to agree to a ceasefire, calling it "unacceptable," while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged the significance of the very fact of the negotiations.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Istanbul that same day.
Following talks, European leaders, including those from Ukraine, Germany, France, the UK, and Poland, communicated with U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed his willingness to meet with Putin as soon as logistics could be organized.
The Kremlin concurred, deeming such a summit "certainly necessary."
Last weekend, Putin notably extended an offer for direct negotiations with Kiev, but did not attend the Istanbul meeting despite Zelensky's invitation.
The U.S., alongside European partners, had previously set an ultimatum for Putin to accept a ceasefire before discussions could resume, a demand the Russian leader dismissed, claiming that a prolonged ceasefire would allow Ukrainian forces to regroup and receive Western arms, amidst ongoing Russian occupation of nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory.
