Image Credentials: Image Title: Russia Proposes New Ukraine Talks in Istanbul, Kyiv Demands Terms in Advance Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: May 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle with Agencies
ISTANBUL — Russia announced Wednesday that it intends to present its peace terms to Ukraine in a second round of direct negotiations set for Monday in Istanbul, but Kyiv swiftly insisted it must review Moscow’s proposal beforehand to ensure the meeting produces results.
The announcement marks an escalation in diplomatic activity following years of stalled dialogue and intense battlefield fighting. Yet, trust remains low on both sides. The May 16 talks, also held in Istanbul, were the first direct engagement in over three years and failed to yield any breakthroughs.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led negotiations for Kyiv in the last round, posted on X: “We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their memorandum… The Russian side has at least four more days before their departure to provide us with their document for review. Diplomacy must be substantive.”
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed the new talks and said the Russian delegation, led by veteran negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, would bring a formal “memorandum” outlining the Kremlin’s terms. Lavrov said he had briefed his U.S. counterpart, Marco Rubio, on the proposal.
“Medinsky is prepared to explain the memorandum during the meeting on Monday, June 2,” Lavrov stated in a video address.
But expectations for progress remain low. Moscow continues to reject calls for an unconditional ceasefire and maintains its maximalist demands, including Ukrainian neutrality and the formal cession of Russian-occupied territories—terms Kyiv has called “unacceptable.”
TRUMP GROWS IMPATIENT WITH MOSCOW
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made negotiating a peace settlement a key foreign policy priority, voiced growing frustration with Moscow. “I was very disappointed,” Trump said Wednesday, referring to Russia’s weekend bombardment of Ukrainian cities during ongoing peace discussions. “If I think I’m close to getting a deal, I don’t want to screw it up by doing that,” he added, resisting calls for new sanctions.
Trump said he will decide within “about two weeks” whether President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the conflict.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Lavrov in a call to pursue “constructive, good-faith dialogue,” according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
CONFLICT RAGES ON THE GROUND
Despite the diplomatic gestures, the war continues unabated. Over the weekend, Moscow launched deadly missile strikes on Ukraine, while Kyiv responded overnight with what it called one of its largest drone attacks on Russian targets to date.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of stalling negotiations to prolong its military campaign. “They will constantly look for reasons not to end the war,” he said during a press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelenskyy warned of an escalating Russian military buildup along the northeastern Sumy border, where over 50,000 troops have reportedly massed. Ukrainian officials say several settlements in the area have fallen as the Kremlin seeks to establish a so-called “buffer zone” inside Ukrainian territory.
NO SUMMIT YET, AS DEMANDS CLASH
Calls by Zelenskyy for a three-way summit with Trump and Putin have been rebuffed by Moscow, which insists that any meeting between the two presidents must come only after concrete agreements are struck by their negotiating teams.
In return for peace, Russia is demanding Kyiv renounce its ambitions to join NATO and cede control of occupied regions, including the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. Ukraine has refused to accept such terms, arguing they would legitimize aggression and set a dangerous precedent.
Still, the last Istanbul meeting did yield a limited prisoner exchange, 1,000 from each side, and an agreement to continue drafting respective peace plans.
As Monday’s meeting approaches, the pressure mounts for tangible outcomes. Both sides remain entrenched in their positions, but international stakeholders, including the U.S., Turkey, and Germany, continue to push for a negotiated end to the war that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
Staff Writers at Open Chronicle produce in-depth, field-informed reporting on defense, diplomacy, cultural transformation, and global affairs. Known for clarity, accuracy, and analytical depth, they connect breaking developments to broader historical and strategic contexts. In addition to frontline journalism, Staff Writers also contribute to the Open Chronicle Encyclopedia, crafting authoritative entries that preserve critical knowledge and enrich public understanding.