Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first face-to-face peace talks in three years on Friday, convening in Istanbul under Turkish mediation, reports AP.
However, both officials and analysts anticipate little progress in halting the war, which has now stretched into its fourth year.
Ukraine’s delegation, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, is expected to meet a lower-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
The renewed attempt to revive peace talks began on a shaky note Thursday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer for direct talks. The two delegations also arrived in different Turkish cities and appeared mismatched in terms of diplomatic representation.
While expectations were low for a possible Zelenskyy-Putin meeting, the sluggish momentum of the peace process dashed hopes of a breakthrough in Turkey.
The two sides remain deeply divided on terms for ending the conflict. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump, during a visit to the Middle East, said a meeting between him and Putin was essential to overcome the stalemate.
Ukraine has accepted a 30-day comprehensive ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S. and Europe, but Putin has dismissed it, instead laying out broad preconditions.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials and Western military analysts report that Russia is preparing for a renewed military offensive.
After Putin declined Zelenskyy’s invitation to meet in Ankara on Thursday, the Ukrainian president accused Moscow of not being genuinely interested in ending the war, criticizing Russia’s delegation as merely symbolic.
Nonetheless, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would still send a delegation led by his defense minister to the Istanbul talks, as a signal to Trump that Kyiv remains committed to peace despite Russia’s apparent reluctance.
According to the Kremlin, Russia’s delegation will include three additional senior officials, along with four junior “experts” assigned to the discussions.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated he would meet Friday in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation. He also noted that members of the U.S. team would hold talks with the Russian side, expressing hope that all parties might eventually sit down together.
“We’re not expecting major results tomorrow. Honestly, it’s clear by now that a real breakthrough would require a direct meeting between President Trump and President Putin,” Rubio told reporters Thursday in Antalya.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy traveled to Albania to participate in a summit of European political leaders scheduled for Friday.
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