The third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place on the evening of July 23 in Istanbul, as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged both sides to end the “bloody war” that has raged for over three years.
“Our goal is to end this bloody war as soon as possible. The ultimate aim is a ceasefire that paves the way for peace,” said Fidan during the opening of the talks.
Turkey, which maintains strong relations with both neighbors on the Black Sea, has provided drones to Ukraine but has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow.
Minister Fidan thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for showing “the will to continue these discussions,” and also expressed gratitude to former U.S. President Donald Trump for his public calls to end the conflict.
Fidan noted that the first and second rounds of talks — also held in Istanbul — produced “important results,” particularly the agreement on prisoner exchanges. “We are pleased to have witnessed the realization of prisoner swaps,” he said.
“Our hope for this third round is that both sides will engage in substantial, results-oriented consultations based on the memorandums exchanged,” Fidan added. He also emphasized that if a ceasefire is reached, Turkey possesses the necessary infrastructure to monitor its implementation.
So far, the talks in Istanbul — held previously in May and June — have led only to agreements on prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of fallen soldiers’ remains.
Last week, Donald Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to end the war, warning of potential sanctions if it fails to do so. However, the Kremlin has not shown signs of willingness to compromise.
“No one expects an easy path. It will be very difficult,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about his expectations for the negotiations.
Ukraine hopes the current talks will lead to further discussions on prisoner releases and potentially pave the way for a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
Despite the renewed dialogue, the two sides remain deeply divided on how the conflict should end. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from four regions Moscow claimed to have annexed in September 2022 — a demand Kyiv firmly rejects.
Ukraine has ruled out any negotiations on territorial concessions prior to a ceasefire and has repeatedly stated it will never recognize Russia’s claim over any occupied territory — including Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has devastated large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine and caused tens of thousands of military and civilian casualties.
