Ukrainian and Russian delegations will meet Wednesday, July 23, in Istanbul for a third round of peace talks, with both sides hoping to advance on humanitarian issues — but sharp divisions over the terms of a broader ceasefire continue to cloud any prospect of real progress.
The meeting, brokered by Turkey, comes as the war is midway through its fourth year and follows two earlier rounds in May and June that produced limited agreements, including several prisoner swaps.
Officials in Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged draft peace proposals, but the gap between their positions remains wide.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the meeting in a Monday night address, adding on Tuesday that former Defense Minister and newly appointed National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov will once again lead the Ukrainian delegation.
Umerov, who also took part in the previous rounds, will be joined by representatives from Ukraine’s intelligence services, the Foreign Ministry, and the Office of the President.
Russia will send the same delegation as before, led by Kremlin advisor and historian Vladimir Medinsky, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“The agenda from our side is clear: the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, and the preparation of a leaders’ meeting,” Zelensky said on Monday.
Ukraine is pushing for direct talks between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though the Kremlin has dismissed that possibility.
Peskov said there is currently “no relevance” to such a meeting, pointing to a Ukrainian law banning negotiations with Putin.
Memoranda reveal stark divide
Efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the three-year-long war have stalled after US President Donald Trump forced the two sides to open direct talks after returning to the White House in January.
The two sides last met on June 2 in Istanbul, exchanging draft ideas of what a peace deal could look like.
Before the June talks, Kyiv submitted a draft memorandum outlining its peace conditions.
It calls for a full ceasefire on land, air, and sea for at least 30 days, the exchange of all prisoners under the “all for all” principle, the return of deported children, the release of civilian hostages, and international guarantees of Ukrainian territorial integrity.
It also calls for international monitoring mechanisms, legal recognition of Ukraine’s borders, compensation for war damage, and a future Zelensky-Putin meeting to finalize any deal.
Moscow presented its memorandum to Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul following the second round of negotiations in June.
The memorandum demands that Russia will only negotiate a ceasefire if Ukraine fully withdraws from the four partly occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, ceding territory with no Kremlin presence.
The demands also include: Ukrainian neutrality, bans on military alliances or coalition (i.e., NATO or EU accession), limits on the size of Ukraine’s military and the quantity and types of weapons it holds, “full guarantees of the rights, freedoms, and interests” of Russian speakers in Ukraine, bans on “naziism and neo-naziism” and the total lifting of sanctions on Russia including free transit of Russian gas pipelines through Ukraine, according to Russian state media.
Russia has falsely accused Ukraine of “naziism,” a claim rebuked by Ukraine’s chief Rabbi, Moshe Asman, in a recent interview with Kyiv Post.
Kyiv has rejected the Russian proposal as a political ultimatum that contradicts international law and undermines the principles of sovereignty and self-determination.
Progress limited but ongoing
Despite the differences, the Istanbul talks have produced some results. Since the first round in May, Ukraine and Russia have conducted eight prisoner exchanges, including major swaps involving severely wounded soldiers and young conscripts.
The most recent exchange took place on July 4, with more than 100 Ukrainians – including injured service members and civilians under 25 – returning home.
Officials say the humanitarian channels remain open and could lead to further agreements in Wednesday’s talks. But a broader peace remains elusive.
Peskov admitted on Monday that the two sides have “diametrically opposed” positions and warned against expecting “miracles.” He said a long and difficult diplomatic process will be needed to find common ground.
Looking ahead
Both delegations are expected to meet behind closed doors in Istanbul throughout Wednesday. Turkish officials, who have positioned themselves as neutral mediators, will host and facilitate the discussions.
While immediate breakthroughs appear unlikely, officials in Kyiv say they remain committed to exploring every diplomatic path that could lead to a ceasefire and the eventual end of hostilities – provided that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.
“The war will end not with words, but with justice,” Zelensky said. “And justice begins with the return of our people.”