Istanbul (TDI): Delegations from Russia and Ukraine convened at Istanbul’s historic Ciragan Palace on Monday for their second round of face-to-face peace negotiations since 2022, even as signs of progress remained elusive and tensions flared following a Ukrainian strike on Russian strategic bombers.
The talks come at a fragile moment. Just a day earlier, Ukraine launched a significant aerial assault, targeting Russia’s nuclear-capable long-range bombers deep within its territory, an escalation that sparked outrage among Russian commentators and military bloggers calling for swift retribution.
Russian lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said that Moscow had received a new draft proposal from Ukraine in advance of the talks. It remains unclear whether Ukraine has been handed any fresh terms from the Russian side. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is leading Kyiv’s delegation at the session.
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The meeting, originally scheduled to begin at 1000 GMT, faced delays for reasons not made public. Turkish officials were also present, playing host and seeking to keep diplomatic channels open.
The previous round of negotiations, held on May 16 in Istanbul, produced the largest prisoner exchange of the conflict to date, with both sides releasing 1,000 detainees.
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A Ukrainian official familiar with the talks said that Kyiv remains willing to explore real steps toward peace if Moscow demonstrates flexibility and avoids repeating prior ultimatums, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military reported a record overnight barrage by Russia, with 472 drones launched—the highest single-night total since the war began.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
