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Russian and Ukrainian delegations met face-to-face Friday for the first time in more than three years, with Moscow presenting a clear set of demands during the Türkiye-facilitated talks at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace.
According to diplomatic sources cited by Haberturk journalist Sena Alkan, Russia's delegation, led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, outlined four specific conditions during the negotiations:
The Russian delegation also demanded Ukraine withdraw from territories with significant Russian populations, though these areas remain under Kyiv's control. Medinsky delivered what appeared to be a thinly veiled threat, stating: "In history, there were countries that lost more territory because they couldn't make the right decision at the right time."
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Russia specifically demanded Ukraine cede territory in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson — the four regions Moscow attempted to illegally annex in 2022 but does not fully control.
Diplomatic sources described Türkiye's role as that of a "facilitator," with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan encouraging confidence-building measures between the warring parties. One tangible outcome was an agreement for a significant prisoner exchange involving 1,000 people from each side across three categories: children, civilians, and soldiers.
According to Turkish officials, the initial exchange proposal involved 200-400 prisoners, but expanded to 1,000 through Türkiye's mediation efforts. Fidan later characterized the day as "important for world peace."
The talks in Istanbul yielded limited progress beyond the prisoner exchange agreement. Both sides agreed to present written visions of potential ceasefire conditions, and discussions included the possibility of a future meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Following the talks, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland issued a joint statement declaring "the Russian position is clearly unacceptable, and not for the first time." Ukrainian officials stated they were "ready to have a ceasefire agreed today," but indicated this was likely unachievable due to what they described as the Russian delegation's "limited mandate."
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