The second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks have ended in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Ahead of the talks, Kiev intensified drone attacks on Russian territory, targeting civilian infrastructure, trains, and military airfields, which Moscow claims are attempts to sabotage negotiations.
Just a day before scheduled talks, two bridges collapsed in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk border regions, leading to at least seven deaths and dozens of injured. The incidents were caused by sabotage, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
Later that same day, drones targeted military airfields in Murmansk Region in the country’s north, in Ivanovo and Ryazan regions in western Russia, and in Irkutsk Region in Siberia and Amur Region in the Far East. In response to Kiev’s raids, Russia has launched several retaliatory strikes targeting Ukraine’s defense industry facilities, as well as military assembly points and warehouses.
Some military bloggers and analysts suggest that Kiev may have undertaken such actions to demonstrate to its Western supporters that it still has the means to continue fighting Russia, as well as to intimidate the Russian population.
On Sunday afternoon, Russia’s delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, arrived in Istanbul. Ukraine’s team for the meeting is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. According to Reuters, the delegation from Kiev will propose a 30-day ceasefire, prisoner exchanges (the “all for all”principle), and the return of Ukrainian children from Russian-held areas, aiming for an eventual meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky.
The previous round of Istanbul talks on May 16, the first since 2022, saw 1,000 prisoners exchanged per side. Both parties agreed to draft ceasefire proposals for today’s discussion. Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that Putin is open to holding high-level direct talks with Kiev. However, he said this should be preceded by tangible progress in the current negotiations.
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02 June 2025
The Russian delegation has left Istanbul and is flying home, RT correspondent Konstantin Pridybaylo has reported.
Türkiye welcomes the “result-oriented approach” displayed by both the Russian and Ukrainian delegations during the Istanbul talks, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said in a post on X. “The talks were held in a constructive atmosphere, and the parties built on the points they had agreed upon during the first meeting,” the nation’s top diplomat said as he hailed new agreements on prisoner exchanges.
“I would like to reiterate my gratitude to both countries for their unwavering trust in Türkiye at this historic process,” the minister added.
Moscow’s peace proposal is “anything but an ultimatum,” the Russian delegation head and a presidential aide, Vladimir Medinsky, has told RT. This proposal could help the sides to “stop the fighting and take a huge step towards a lasting peace,” he said.
RT has obtained the text of the peace proposal that the Russian delegation shared with the Ukrainian side during the Istanbul talks.
The document contains Russia’s proposals for the “final settlement” of the Ukraine conflict, as well as two ways to reach a ceasefire and a roadmap that includes some unilateral moves by Moscow.
The heads of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations – Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov – held a bilateral meeting ahead of their teams’ negotiations, a source has told RT, adding that the meeting lasted around two and a half hours. The personal conversation between the two officials facilitated “effective” talks, the source added.
Watch the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, talk to journalists after the second round of negotiations in Istanbul:
The head of Moscow's delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, has emphasized that Russia's Office of the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights regularly addresses issues of family reunification.
All children evacuated from combat zones are reunited with their families as soon as their parents or relatives are identified, he has stated, adding that Russia has returned a total of 101 children to Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022. The Ukrainian side handed over 22 children to Russia, according to Medinsky.
The reunification of children with their families is a “matter of honor” for Russia, the head of Moscow’s delegation and a presidential aide, Vladimir Medinsky, has told journalists, commenting on Kiev’s demands to return Ukrainian minors that have allegedly been “abducted” by Russia.
Figures voiced by Ukraine at various international platforms, including the UN, have nothing to do with reality, Russia’s top negotiator said, adding that his team received a list of names of children Kiev wants returned. “It’s not a million and a half, it’s not 20,000. It has 339 names,” Medinsky has said.
The Russian side will thoroughly review it to determine whether these children are even in the country. According to the official, some 150 minors, whose disappearance had previously been blamed on Moscow, were eventually found in Germany.
“The issue of abduction of children is a show staged by the Ukrainian authorities that targets bleeding-heart Europeans,” Medinsky has said. “This shameful PR campaign has to stop.”
Moscow has proposed a temporary ceasefire for two to three days in several parts of the front to facilitate the collection of soldiers’ bodies and prevent potential outbreaks of disease as the weather grows warmer, the head of Moscow’s delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, has said. “We want to create the conditions for the bodies to be collected and handed over for Christian burial,” he told journalists, adding that the Ukrainian side has promised to review the proposal “on short notice.”
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to establish medical commissions to help create exchange lists for severely injured soldiers “without the need to wait for big political decisions,” Vladimir Medinsky has told journalists after the talks. The swaps would be held regularly “in a routine manner,” he added.
Moscow and Kiev have agreed on their “largest ever” prisoner exchange to date, Medinsky has said. The swap will include all the severely injured and seriously ill POWs, as well as all soldiers under 25 years old, he has said.
The total number of those exchanged will be “no less than 1,000 people from each side,” but “it could be even more,” according to Medinsky.
Russia has handed over to the Ukrainian side a detailed memorandum that includes both a proposal on reaching a lasting peace and steps for a “full-fledged ceasefire,” the head of Moscow’s delegation and presidential aide, Vladimir Medinsky, has told journalists after the talks. The ceasefire part includes options that could lead to the truce, he says, adding that the Ukrainian side “has taken it for review.”
Russia has unilaterally committed to hand over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen to Kiev, the head of Moscow’s delegation and presidential aide, Vladimir Medinsky, has told journalists after the talks, adding that it will be done next week. “I don’t know how many they will give us,” he says.
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange the corpses of 6,000 soldiers each, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister and delegation head Rustem Umerov.
The Ukrainian delegation has suggested holding the next meeting with Russian negotiators before the end of June, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has told journalists after the talks. Moscow has not commented on the proposal so far.
Moscow and Kiev have agreed to exchange all severely ill POWs as well as those aged under 25, Ukrainian Defense Minister and delegation head Rustem Umerov has told a press conference, following the second round of the Istanbul talks.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, has confirmed the sides have agreed on a new prisoner exchange, adding that the details will be announced later. He said Kiev prioritizes the release of those injured and ill as well as young people.
Russia and Ukraine have achieved no major breakthroughs during the talks, an unnamed senior Ukrainian official has told the Financial Times, adding, “Just minor steps as we expected.”
Ukraine and Russia have exchanged documents on the settlement process and are laying the ground for a new prisoner exchange, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
A TASS source has confirmed that Russia and Ukraine are expected to hold a third round of talks at a later and still unspecified date.
During the talks, the sides discussed prisoner exchanges, with the results to be announced later, a RIA Novosti source has said.
Kiev has handed Moscow a list of hundreds of Ukrainian children it is demanding to be returned, Andrey Yermak, the head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, has said, calling the request “the first test of sincere intentions.”
While Kiev has repeatedly accused Moscow of “deporting” children, Russia has said that they were evacuated from the combat zone for safety reasons, and that their parents or legal guardians could contact or retrieve them at any time.
The talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have concluded “not negatively,” a spokesperson for Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry has said, without providing additional details.
Russia and Ukraine will not continue talks on Monday, with their delegations poised to depart Istanbul, a TASS source has claimed.
The Russia-Ukraine talks have wrapped up, having lasted just over an hour.
The Ukrainian proposal also calls for the prisoner exchange process to continue according to an “all-for-all principle.” Kiev also insists on Russia returning displaced Ukrainian children, according to the leaked document. Moscow has repeatedly said that some Ukrainian children were evacuated from the combat zone for safety reasons, stressing that their parents or legal guardians have no obstacles whatsoever in contacting or retrieving them.
Kiev also reportedly suggests that “some sanctions may be lifted on Russia,” but only gradually and with snapback provisions if agreements are violated. It also insists that frozen Russian assets should remain unavailable or be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine until “reparations are paid.”
Ukraine maintains that it does not recognize any of its territorial losses since 2014 while designating the current contact line as “the starting point for negotiations,” according to the leaked document.
The proposal also insists that Ukraine not be “forced to be neutral,” and that its potential NATO membership should depend on a consensus within the bloc.
According to the document, Kiev also wants to have the possibility to deploy foreign troops on its soil without any limitations. Both terms have long been a red line for Russia.
Ukraine’s framework demands a commitment to “non-repetition of aggression” and insists on Kiev receiving security guarantees, which should be underpinned by members of the international community, according to the document.
Ukraine’s proposal calls for “a full and unconditional ceasefire” in the air, on land, and at sea as a prerequisite for peace negotiations, according to the circulated document. The ceasefire would last at least 30 days and could be extended, with monitoring led by the US and supported by third countries.
Several media outlets circulated the full text of Ukraine’s road map for peace titled ‘Ukraine-Russia Negotiations Framework’, the contents of which were first reported by Reuters. The document, which consists of five parts, outlines Kiev’s key conditions for a peace settlement with Russia.
Fidan also thanked US President Donald Trump for his push to settle the conflict, adding that Washington’s efforts open up a certain “window of opportunity.”
The sides are set to discuss humanitarian aspects of the conflict, including potential ceasefire terms, and prisoner and civilian exchanges, Fidan said. He added that the talks will also include discussions on setting up a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has delivered opening remarks at the Istanbul talks, wishing the two parties “a good solution” and thanking them for a “constructive approach.”
The Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have started.
The delay in the start of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul was caused by the decision of Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian defense minister and head of delegation, to first meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to Strana.ua.
The outlet added that the meeting is now over and the talks are expected to commence shortly.
The talks in Istanbul have not started yet, despite the delegations being in place, several Russian media outlets have reported. The reason for the delay is unclear.
The Ukrainian delegation has also arrived at the venue, according to videos shared on social media. A significant part of the negotiating team was seen wearing military outfits.
The Russian delegation has arrived at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul to hold talks with Ukraine, according to footage circulated by Russian media.
Kiev’s negotiators have met with representatives from Germany, Italy, and the UK, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has said. The sides have “coordinated positions” ahead of the Istanbul talks, the ministry added.
Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky is expected to hold separate conversations on the sidelines of the Istanbul talks, a source has told RT. The agency provided no additional details.
The Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, has left its hotel in Istanbul and is en route to the talks, according to footage published by Russian media.
Turkish representatives have arrived at the venue for the Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul, according to footage released by Ruptly. The convoy comprised at least four vehicles, including a car with diplomatic license plates, a vehicle with a flashing light, presumably carrying a security detail, and a minibus.
Moscow expects Kiev to seriously consider its proposals at the Istanbul negotiations, including the terms for a potential ceasefire, Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has told RIA Novosti.
He added that Moscow sees no need to consider alternative venues for talks, saying Istanbul remains a suitable location at this stage.
Ibrahim Kalin, the head of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization, is also expected to be present at the Russia–Ukraine talks, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source has told TASS.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan plans to join the Russia–Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, RIA Novosti has reported, citing a Turkish diplomatic source. Fidan also took part in the first round of negotiations between the two sides in May.
Vladimir Zelensky has altered the line-up of Ukraine’s delegation ahead of the Istanbul talks, according to a decree published on his website.
The 14-member team, still led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, features three new officials, including Andrey Fomin, the head of international law at the General Staff; Yury Kovbasa, a representative of the parliamentary human rights commissioner; and Evgeny Ostyansky, deputy chief of the General Staff. Aleksey Malovatsky, head of the Department of International and Operational Law with Ukraine’s General Staff, who took part in earlier talks, has not been included this time.
Kiev’s delegation has arrived in Istanbul for the peace negotiations with Russia, a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has confirmed.
Journalists have gathered outside Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, where negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to start at 10:00 GMT, according to footage obtained by RT.
Russia has received Ukraine’s version of a peace settlement memorandum, top Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky has told RT, without disclosing the details of the road map.
Reuters earlier reported that it includes a 30-day full ceasefire and the mutual return of all prisoners, followed by a meeting between Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian air defenses intercepted and destroyed a total of 162 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones between Sunday evening and 2am Monday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. It added that the bulk of the UAVs were downed over Kursk Region, and the cities of Belgorod, Lipetsk, and Voronezh.
Ukraine has significantly intensified drone raids into Russia in recent weeks, in what Moscow has described as an effort to derail the settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
At least three private houses and one multi-apartment building were damaged overnight in the city of Kursk following a Ukrainian drone raid, acting regional Governor Aleksandr Khinstein has said. He added that the buildings were damaged by UAV debris.
He also noted that fires broke out in some homes and a garage, but were extinguished by emergency crews. “Fortunately, there are no casualties,” Khinstein has reported.