‘Putin Must Get Nothing’ – Second Round of Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Concluded in Istanbul

A second round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have ended, according to a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman.

“The meeting is over. It didn’t end negatively,” ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said of the talks at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, which lasted just over an hour. 

Russia and Ukraine are working on a fresh prisoner exchange following the talks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The delegations “exchanged documents through the Turkish side, and we are preparing a new release of prisoners of the war,” he said during a summit that included NATO leaders in Lithuania.

Ukrainian negotiators also handed Russian officials a list of children “illegally deported” by Moscow during its invasion, demanding their return, Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said Monday. 

“Today during talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian side officially gave the Russian side a list of Ukrainian children that need to be returned,” Yermak wrote on social media.

“We are talking about hundreds of children that Russia has illegally deported, forcibly transferred or kept in temporarily occupied territories,” he added. 

“The key to lasting peace is clear, the aggressor must not receive any reward for war,” Zelensky told reporters in Vilnius. “Putin must get nothing that would justify his aggression.”

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The talks are being held at the historic Ciragan Palace, with the Turkish delegation – led by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan – serving as mediator.

Originally scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m., preparations were still underway past the announced time. In addition to Fidan, Turkey’s Chief of the General Staff, General Metin Gurak, and Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin are also in attendance.

Before direct talks began, Fidan addressed the delegations, saying the goal was to prepare the ground for a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said discussions would focus on humanitarian issues, especially a potential prisoner exchange, and explore prospects for a ceasefire.

Fidan added that Turkey remains committed to facilitating a peaceful resolution and is ready to support both sides as needed.

The Russian delegation is expected to present a so-called “memorandum” outlining its vision for a ceasefire.

Zelensky approved the new composition of Kyiv’s delegation by decree. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov again leads the team, though there have been several personnel changes since the May 16 meeting.

Oleksiy Malovatsky, head of the Department of International and Operational Law of the Ukrainian General Staff, has been replaced by his deputy, Andriy Fomin.

Additional delegates include Yuriy Kovbasa, representative of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights in the Security and Defense System, and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Yevhen Ostryansky.

Russia’s delegation remains unchanged and is still headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.