Ukraine aims to secure ceasefire a priority during peace talks with Russia in Istanbul

Negotiators will also raise the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy & Russian President Vladimir Putin during the ongoing talks in Turkey.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference at the Ukrainian embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on 15 May 2025. | File Photo | Cagla Gurdogan | Reuters

Istanbul: Ukraine will make securing a ceasefire a priority in expected talks with a Russian delegation in Istanbul on Friday, a Ukrainian diplomatic source said, adding there was also a need for “confidence-building measures”.

The source said on condition of anonymity that Ukrainian negotiators would also raise the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We understand that for any diplomacy to be resultative, there needs to be a ceasefire. Real, durable and well-monitored,” the source said. “There also needs to be humanitarian confidence-building measures, such as the return of Ukrainian children, detained civilians, (and the) exchange of prisoners of war on the all-for-all basis.”

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth, Writing by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

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