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A second round of direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations ended Monday after lasting just over an hour at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace, Turkish officials confirmed.
"The meeting is over. It didn't end negatively," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said of the talks, which began around 2:43 p.m. and concluded at 3:57 p.m. local time.
The negotiations represent a continuation of diplomatic efforts that resumed May 16 at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking the first direct talks between the warring parties in more than three years. Monday's session was notably shorter than the initial May meeting, which lasted approximately two hours.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at a press conference in Vilnius, indicated ongoing diplomatic coordination through Turkish channels. "Document exchange is taking place through the mediation of the Turkish side, and we are making new preparations for the release of prisoners of war," Zelenskyy said.
The first round of renewed talks yielded concrete results, with both sides agreeing to a prisoner exchange using a "1,000 for 1,000" formula—an agreement that has since been implemented. The parties also expressed intentions to continue working toward a cease-fire.
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, had expressed satisfaction with the initial round's outcomes and readiness to continue negotiations. Before Monday's session, expectations centered on the exchange of memoranda outlining Moscow's and Kyiv's respective approaches to resolving the conflict.
Russian negotiators have indicated their readiness to "immediately begin substantive discussion of each point of the package agreement on future cease-fire," according to Medinsky's previous statements.
The talks are being facilitated by Türkiye, which has positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict while maintaining diplomatic relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
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