Russia and Ukraine peace talks fade as Moscow demands Kyiv cede major territories

Highly anticipated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine fizzled out after less than two hours on Friday — after Russia demanded major swaths of land as a precondition for a cease-fire.

The talks took place in Turkey and marked the first time the two countries met directly since the early days of Moscow’s 2022 invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who snubbed an offer from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet face-to-face, sent a low-level delegation to Istanbul to represent Moscow. 

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The negotiators made demands for Ukraine to hand over four major cities – Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk – which it has been trying to conquer since the start of its war, according to reports.

Moscow threatened to demand a fifth region if Kyiv refused, but Ukrainian officials were prepared for the requests and stood their ground, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Russia already occupies more than 18% of Ukraine.

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The Ukrainians called the bad faith request “unacceptable.”

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokespersom Heorhii Tykhii added that the Russian delegation “voiced a number of things that we deem unacceptable.” 

“This is something that Russians usually voice, and we were keeping to our line,” he said.

Yet Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide who led the delegation, said on state-run television that Russia was “satisfied with the outcome” of the talks, and would maintain contact with Ukraine. 

The parties, however, agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each, which would mark the largest exchange in the war so far, and agreed to present each other with their visions of a cease-fire in writing.

Russia has repeatedly pushed back on a US-backed, 30-day cease-fire, which Kyiv has agreed to.

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Ukraine on Friday also requested direct talks between Putin and Zelesnky.

“We have taken note of this request,” Medinsky said.

The Kremlin, however, is pushing for a one-on-one with Trump, absent Zelensky or any other European leaders — arguing it is a prerequisite for any progress.

The Russian and US presidents have spoken by phone, but not met since Trump returned to the White House in January, despite both leaders expressing their desire for face-to-face talks.

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Trump said he would meet with Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”

“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump told reporters Friday as he wrapped up a trip to the Middle East.

After the talks in Istanbul, Zelensky held a call with Trump alongside leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland who were all in Albania for a European summit.  

“Our position — if the Russians reject a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings, tough sanctions must follow,” Zelesnky said on X after the call. “Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war.”

With Post wires