Egypt Daily News – In a significant diplomatic development, Russian and Ukrainian delegations held direct negotiations in Istanbul on Friday, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan facilitating the closed-door session that lasted approximately two hours.
At the opening of the meeting, Fidan welcomed both parties to Istanbul, noting the importance of this event as the resumption of talks between Russia and Ukraine. He emphasized that the willingness of both nations to come to the negotiation table has “opened a new window of opportunity” for achieving peace.
“We stand at a crossroads,” Fidan stated. “One path leads to peace, the other to further destruction. It is up to the parties themselves to choose which path they will follow.” He stressed the urgency of the situation, warning that each day without progress results in more devastation and tragedy.
Highlighting that this was the first such meeting since March 2022, he called for immediate steps toward a ceasefire and expressed hope that this dialogue could pave the way for a summit between the two countries’ leaders. Turkey, he reiterated, remains ready to support the peace-building process.
The Russian delegation was led by Vladimir Medinsky, assistant to President Vladimir Putin, while Ukraine’s delegation was headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Before the talks, Medinsky had stated that the Russian mission in Istanbul aimed to lay the groundwork for lasting peace and to address the root causes of the conflict. He affirmed Russia’s readiness to consider and discuss potential compromises.
Ahead of the negotiations, Medinsky also met with Michael Anton, Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department, who arrived in Istanbul as part of a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov reiterated Ukraine’s long-standing conditions for peace, namely a 30-day ceasefire and a full prisoner exchange on an “all-for-all” basis. Reports indicated that the Ukrainian side focused exclusively on the ceasefire issue during the Istanbul talks.
Previously, trilateral discussions took place in Istanbul involving representatives from the U.S., Turkey, and Ukraine. Participants included Andriy Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. Reuters also reported that Rubio met with national security advisors from the “European Trio” (the UK, Germany, and France) to discuss Ukraine and Iran.
Following Friday’s talks, Medinsky expressed satisfaction with the outcome, telling reporters that Russia is ready to continue dialogue with Ukraine. He revealed that a prisoner exchange involving 1,000 individuals from each side had been agreed upon and would be carried out in the coming days.
He also noted that Ukraine had requested a direct meeting between the two heads of state—something Moscow is now considering. Both sides will present detailed proposals for a potential ceasefire, Medinsky said, after which the talks are expected to proceed.
Umerov confirmed the agreement on the prisoner exchange and said discussions also included other possible formats for swaps. He added that the prospect of organizing a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Vladimir Putin is under review.
Medinsky emphasized that Moscow views the current negotiations as a continuation of the peace process that stalled in 2022 and reaffirmed that Russia’s goal is to establish a lasting peace and eliminate the root causes of the conflict.
