Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Collapse in 2 Hrs, 1,000 POWs to Be Swapped/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Russia and Ukraine agreed Friday to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each — the largest such swap since the 2022 invasion — following direct peace talks in Istanbul. While broader negotiations collapsed after less than two hours, both sides agreed to submit ceasefire proposals. Officials say Moscow will consider Kyiv’s request for a leader-level summit.
Russia-Ukraine POW Swap Agreed Amid Failed Talks: Quick Looks
- Russia and Ukraine will swap 1,000 POWs each, per Russia’s lead negotiator.
- Talks in Istanbul ended after under two hours, with major disagreements remaining.
- Moscow introduced new demands, including a Ukrainian military withdrawal.
- Ukraine proposed an immediate 30-day ceasefire, supported by the U.S. and EU.
- Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange written ceasefire proposals.
- Russia said it would consider a summit with Zelenskyy.
- President Trump pressed for a meeting with Putin, calling it essential to end the war.
- Fighting escalated in northeastern Ukraine, with a deadly drone strike in Kupiansk.
- Ukrainian forces expect a summer offensive by Russia.
- The POW swap marks a rare point of consensus, raising cautious hopes for further deals.
Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Collapse in 2 Hrs, 1,000 POWs to Be Swapped
Deep Look
ISTANBUL, Turkey — In a rare positive development after months of bloodshed and failed diplomacy, Russia and Ukraine agreed Friday to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each, even as their first face-to-face peace talks in over three years ended abruptly with no broader agreement.
The announcement came from Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s delegation, shortly after the Istanbul session collapsed in under two hours. He called the prisoner exchange the largest such deal since the start of the war in 2022, and said both sides had agreed to submit formal ceasefire proposals in writing.
While peace remains distant, the POW deal offered a glimmer of progress in an otherwise fraught session that underscored how far apart the sides remain.
Breakdown of Talks
Ukrainian officials said the talks stalled when Russia introduced “unacceptable new demands”, including a call for Ukrainian military withdrawal from vast swaths of contested territory.
A senior Ukrainian official said the Kremlin’s demands “derailed any chance of immediate ceasefire consensus.” Kyiv had arrived with the backing of the U.S. and European partners for a 30-day ceasefire, aimed at de-escalating front-line violence and opening the door to more substantive negotiations.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who hosted the session, opened the talks urging both sides to seize the opportunity to halt the war, now in its third year. But the lack of high-level representation on the Russian side signaled to Ukrainian leaders that Moscow wasn’t serious about meaningful diplomacy.
Still, Ukraine formally requested a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin, which Russia said it would “take under consideration.” Medinsky also confirmed Moscow’s willingness to resume talks.
Trump Pushes for Personal Diplomacy
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made resolving the war a centerpiece of his second-term foreign policy agenda, said Friday from Abu Dhabi that he expects a direct meeting with Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”
“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump said, emphasizing that diplomacy at the leadership level may be the only realistic path to halting the war. He has warned both Kyiv and Moscow that the U.S. may scale back its peace efforts if tangible progress is not made soon.
Trump’s envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held high-level meetings in Turkey with Ukrainian and European officials to coordinate strategies ahead of the talks.
Battlefield Update: Violence Continues
Even as talks unfolded, the war’s deadly toll continued. A Russian drone strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk killed a 55-year-old woman and injured four men, according to local officials.
Military analysts believe Russia is preparing a major summer offensive, especially in eastern Ukraine, in an effort to regain lost momentum. Ukraine’s government, in coordination with NATO allies, has been fortifying positions and preparing for prolonged combat if diplomacy fails.
One Ukrainian soldier, identified by the call sign “Corsair,” said expectations for peace are low. “Summer is the best time for war,” he said from the front lines, though he noted that many soldiers still hold out hope for a ceasefire “before year’s end.”
Europe Rallies Around Ceasefire Plan
While talks faltered in Istanbul, Zelenskyy was in Tirana, Albania, meeting with leaders from 47 European countries to strengthen diplomatic backing for a ceasefire plan.
“If the Russian representatives in Istanbul today cannot even agree to that, to a ceasefire, then it will be 100% clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed Medinsky’s comments, saying that a Trump-Putin summit is “certainly needed,” but cautioned that planning such a meeting will take time.
Despite the lack of major breakthroughs in Istanbul, the POW swap agreement offered a signal that low-level cooperation remains possible, even amid rising battlefield tensions and political brinkmanship.
Whether it will be a stepping stone or a one-off remains to be seen.
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