AMN / WEB DESK
Russia and Ukraine held their briefest round of talks yet in Istanbul on Thursday, lasting just 40 minutes, with both sides concentrating on prisoner and body exchanges rather than ceasefire negotiations. Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov reported “some progress on the humanitarian front,” but none on halting hostilities. Ukraine proposed a summit between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin by August-end — a move Kyiv says could demonstrate Russia’s willingness to de-escalate.
Russian envoy Vladimir Medinsky insisted such a summit should only occur to finalize an agreement, not to begin talks anew. He repeated Moscow’s offer of short 24–48 hour ceasefires to facilitate body retrievals — a proposal Ukraine considers insufficient, pushing instead for a comprehensive ceasefire.
Despite limited diplomatic headway, both sides agreed to expand humanitarian efforts. At least 1,200 prisoners from each side are set to be exchanged, and Russia has offered to return another 3,000 Ukrainian bodies. Russia is also reviewing a list of 339 Ukrainian children allegedly taken from war zones, a claim Moscow denies.
The talks come amid growing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently threatened strict sanctions unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. Still, there’s little indication of imminent diplomatic breakthroughs.