Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet Wednesday in Istanbul for their first round of peace negotiations in over seven weeks, as President Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum looms large over the talks.
The summit will be held at the Ciragan Palace and opened by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. While previous meetings led to prisoner exchanges and body recoveries, no meaningful progress was made toward ending the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
The Trump administration has made clear that time is running out. The president has warned that Russia and any nations supporting its economy could face crippling new sanctions if a peace deal isn’t reached within 50 days. The move comes as Trump ramps up pressure on the Kremlin after a renewed push for diplomacy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Despite the warning, Moscow remains dismissive. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov downplayed expectations and called the proposals from both sides “diametrically opposed.”
According to Ukrainian officials, Zelensky sees a one-on-one meeting with Putin as essential to achieving a breakthrough. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said the delegation arrived in Turkey “prepared to take significant steps toward peace and a full ceasefire,” but added that Russia must act in good faith for progress to happen.
Putin, for his part, has refused to acknowledge Zelensky as a legitimate leader, citing Ukraine’s martial law and suspended elections. Russia continues to insist on territorial concessions, military restrictions on Ukraine, and the country’s formal neutrality — conditions Kyiv sees as tantamount to surrender.
Russian sources recently told Reuters that Putin remains committed to military victory unless the West agrees to terms on his conditions. Meanwhile, Russian forces continue their advances, including a claimed capture of Varachyne in Ukraine’s Sumy region, and have intensified aerial attacks on Kyiv.
Ukraine has responded in kind, including daring drone strikes deep inside Russian territory that reportedly damaged parts of Moscow’s strategic bomber fleet.
Zelensky has made clear his priorities for the Istanbul summit: the return of abducted Ukrainian children, the repatriation of prisoners of war, and preparations for a face-to-face meeting with Putin.
The Kremlin, however, reiterated that “miracles” should not be expected from the talks. At the last round on June 2, Russia submitted a memorandum of demands that included withdrawal from four occupied regions, military limitations on Ukraine, and its exclusion from NATO — demands Ukraine has flatly rejected.
Trump’s ultimatum has shifted the diplomatic landscape, but whether it leads to a resolution — or intensifies the war — remains to be seen.