The third round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has begun in Istanbul.

The third round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has begun in Istanbul.

23.07.2025 21:53

The third round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, hosted by Turkey, has begun in Istanbul. The discussions are expected to focus primarily on the draft memorandums containing the conditions for the ceasefire and the establishment of peace that both sides have submitted to each other.

The war that began between Russia and Ukraine on February 24, 2022, continues to use Istanbul as a platform for direct negotiations, as the parties have agreed to come together to end the conflict.

They are at the table again for peace! A historic summit has started in Istanbul

THE 3RD ROUND OF PEACE TALKS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE HAS BEGUN

The third round of peace negotiations between the two countries has started at the Çırağan Palace. The delegations of both countries consist of names from previous rounds. Accordingly, the Russian delegation is headed by President Vladimir Putin's Advisor Vladimir Medinskiy. The Ukrainian delegation is led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.

They are at the table again for peace! A historic summit has started in Istanbul

MINISTER FIDAN, MIT PRESIDENT KALIN, AND GENERAL GURAK ALSO ATTENDED

In addition to the Moscow and Kiev delegations, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) President Ibrahim Kalin, and Chief of General Staff General Metin Gurak also arrived at the Çırağan Palace to participate in the peace negotiations. A statement is expected to be made after the meeting.

They are at the table again for peace! A historic summit has started in Istanbul

THE AGENDA IS THE CEASEFIRE AND CONDITIONS FOR PEACE

In the meeting, it is expected that the draft memorandums regarding the ceasefire and conditions for achieving peace, which both sides have submitted to each other, will be discussed. The exchange of prisoners of war, Ukrainian children reportedly in Russia, and the possible topics for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are anticipated to be addressed.

IMPORTANT STEPS WERE TAKEN IN THE FIRST ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS IN ISTANBUL

For the first time in three years, the Russian and Ukrainian sides met on May 16 at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office in Istanbul, facing significant challenges. In the first round of negotiations, which resumed under Turkey's hosting, the parties reached an agreement on the exchange of 1000 prisoners for 1000 prisoners, as well as sharing conditions for achieving a ceasefire and peace. Following the negotiations, significant humanitarian steps were taken, resulting in the exchange of military prisoners between Moscow and Kiev.

They are at the table again for peace! A historic summit has started in Istanbul

THE LARGEST PRISONER EXCHANGE DECISION WAS MADE IN THE 2ND ROUND

On June 2 in Istanbul, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for the second time at the Çırağan Palace, where they exchanged the draft memorandum they prepared for achieving a ceasefire and peace before and during the negotiations, agreeing to work on it.

The parties, which reached an agreement on the largest-scale prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war, decided to exchange all severely ill and injured soldiers, as well as all prisoners under the age of 25. The Russian side promised to hand over the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Additionally, discussions were held regarding a 2-3 day ceasefire in certain areas of the front to facilitate the collection of soldiers' bodies.

They are at the table again for peace! A historic summit has started in Istanbul

In the latest negotiations held in Istanbul, thousands of prisoner exchanges have been made, although the exact numbers have not been disclosed. Russia, which delivered the remains of 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev, announced that it could deliver 3,000 more bodies, 1,000 of which were recently returned.

KREMLIN'S MESSAGE NOT TO EXPECT "MIRACLES" FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitriy Peskov stated that Russia and Ukraine have presented draft memorandums regarding the peace agreement to each other, saying, "In the negotiations, there will be an exchange of views on the draft memorandums. These are contradictory to each other. Therefore, significant diplomatic work will be required."

They are at the table again for peace! A historic summit has started in Istanbul
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitriy Peskov

Additionally, Peskov commented on the expected outcomes of the third round of negotiations, stating, "The resolution of the Ukraine crisis is so difficult that even agreements on the exchange of prisoners and bodies are a success. Therefore, there is no reason to expect miracles from the negotiations."

KIEV WANTS A PUTIN-ZELENSKY SUMMIT THAT PRESIDENT ERDOGAN AND TRUMP COULD ALSO ATTEND

Ukrainian President Zelensky emphasized that the preparation for a leaders' meeting would be on their agenda, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that they are working on a leaders' summit involving Zelensky, Russian President Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, U.S. President Donald Trump, and European leaders.

They are at the table again for peace! A historic summit has started in Istanbul

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