Turkey convened direct Russia–Ukraine peace talks in mid-May 2025. After an EU ultimatum for a 30‑day ceasefire (deadline May 12), Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 11 proposed face-to-face talks in Istanbul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky challenged Putin to attend, but Putin sent a lower‑level delegation instead. Zelensky flew to Turkey on May 15 (meeting President Erdoğan in Ankara) and dispatched his own team to Istanbul. The talks began on May 16, 2025, at Turkey’s presidential Dolmabahçe complex in Istanbul.
Participants: Turkey hosted delegations from Ukraine and Russia, with U.S. observers and envoys also present. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed the parties (Erdoğan offered to host both leaders when they were ready). Ukraine’s team was led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and included key aides (Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, security/intel chiefs Vasyl Malyuk and Vasyl Hnatov). Russia’s team was led by Vladimir Medinsky (a Putin aide and 2022 peace‐talks veteran) with Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin and military-intel chief Igor Kostyukov among its members. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg attended as mediators.
Positions and Demands: The parties entered the talks with sharply contrasting goals. Ukraine demanded an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and retention of its territory. President Zelensky reiterated that Russia must first withdraw from occupied regions, and any negotiations on land return come after fighting stops. Ukraine also sought Western security guarantees (akin to NATO protection for its current borders) as a prerequisite for peace. In contrast, Russia insisted on preconditions. Putin’s spokesmen said Moscow would only discuss a truce if Ukraine agreed to conditions – such as stringent ceasefire monitoring and assurances that Ukraine would not use a pause to rebuild forces. Historically, Russia’s 2022 peace proposal (the “Istanbul Communique”) demanded Ukraine’s permanent neutrality and recognition of Crimea and Donbas under Russian control in exchange for international security guarantees. While Medinsky spoke of seeking “common ground” and a “long-term peace”, Ukrainian officials said those terms were non-negotiable. Turkey emphasized the need to keep dialogue open, calling this a “historic opportunity” to find a minimum common ground. The U.S. publicly supported Ukraine’s position but tempered expectations. Rubio warned no breakthrough was likely without a direct Trump–Putin summit. European leaders (France, Germany, UK, Poland, etc.) had already pressed Putin to accept a ceasefire under threat of further sanctions.
Proceedings and Statements: On May 15 Erdoğan met Zelensky in Ankara and reaffirmed Turkey’s role as host. He told Zelensky that “Turkey is ready to host him [Zelensky] and Russia’s Putin for peace talks when they are ready,” and urged all sides to stay at the negotiating table. Late on May 15, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan met Russia’s delegation at the Dolmabahçe palace in Istanbul. Medinsky told reporters Russia was “ready for possible compromises” and viewed the talks as a continuation of the 2022 Istanbul process. Ukraine’s delegation then met Friday, May 16, with Russia’s team (as well as U.S. and Turkish envoys), though no formal agenda or documents were publicly disclosed.
No concrete agreement was announced. Russian officials said discussions were “productive” and the sides would reconvene (Medinsky noted the aim was to eliminate “root causes” and achieve long-term peace). Ukraine’s team insisted they were there “to discuss a ceasefire,” and Zelensky said he was “sending the delegation ... out of respect” for Turkey and the U.S. leader. Zelensky criticized Russia’s low-level delegation, calling it a “theatre prop” and saying Putin’s absence showed Russia was not serious about peace. U.S. Secretary Rubio held separate meetings with Fidan and the Ukrainian team, saying afterward that he “had no high expectations” for the talks and believed progress would require a Trump–Putin direct meeting. (President Trump, then in the Middle East, likewise stated that “nothing’s going to happen” until he meets Putin.)
Analysis: Commentators noted that neither side was prepared to yield its core demands. Chatham House expert Keir Giles observed that “acceptable outcomes for both are still far apart,” since Russia seeks to neutralize Ukraine and Ukraine insists on survival of its sovereignty. Many analysts pointed out that Russia, with gains on the battlefield, had little incentive to concede territory or drop its red lines (the Kremlin even cited the 2022 Istanbul draft as a basis for talks). Western officials and media reported general skepticism. UK leader Keir Starmer accused Putin of “dragging his feet” by skipping the summit, and European officials immediately discussed escalating sanctions on Moscow after the no-show. On the other hand, U.S. and Turkish participation kept channels open. Observers noted Turkey’s unique role as mediator (having ties to both Kyiv and Moscow) and the influence of the Trump administration’s push for talks. Overall, analysts agreed that the Istanbul meeting – the first direct Ukraine–Russia talks in over three years – was a diplomatic step but with only modest short-term prospects. No breakthrough or ceasefire deal emerged, and both sides prepared to consult further (with Rubio explicitly saying the door remains open to future negotiations).
Sources: aljazeera, reuters, theguardian, apnews
The peace talks have not ended well. There is uncertainty until this ends well. There is a possibility that the gold price gap will fill until this ends well.
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