Peace talks on Ukraine

The second round of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv on the possibility of ending the war in Ukraine has begun in Istanbul, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian state agency TASS. The meeting between the two countries' delegations started on Monday, June 2, with a delay of nearly two hours.

Updated03 June 2025 г. в 08:45

**Ukraine's Position:** The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, stated that Kyiv had "put forward three points": a three-month ceasefire, the release of all prisoners of war and the return of abducted children, and a personal meeting between President Zelensky and President Putin. These demands were submitted to Moscow at the end of May. **Russia's Position:** Russia reiterated previously voiced demands, including international recognition of its annexation of four Ukrainian regions and Crimea, Ukraine's "neutrality," its refusal to join military alliances, and a ban on foreign troops on its territory. The document also calls for capping the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and "disbanding nationalist formations." At the same time, the invading country expressed readiness to agree to a ceasefire either if Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, or if Kyiv accepts a "comprehensive proposal." This includes, among other things, lifting martial law, halting mobilization, and stopping the supply of Western weapons. **U.S. Position:** U.S. President Donald Trump is open to meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of a third round of direct negotiations in Turkey. This was announced by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday, June 2, in Washington. "Trump is open to it if it comes to that (a summit — Ed.), but first and foremost, he wants both leaders and both sides to come to the negotiating table," Leavitt noted. **Turkey's Position:** Earlier the same day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proposed a meeting between Putin, Zelensky, and Trump at the end of June in either Istanbul or Ankara, according to AFP. Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdoğan stated that such a gathering would be "his greatest wish." "I would even like to invite Trump," Anadolu quoted the Turkish leader as saying. He added that if the leaders meet in Turkey, he would "also join them" within this format "so that we can turn Istanbul into the center of peace."