As the prospect of renewed negotiations looms, both countries underline their aims for a temporary truce, while the geopolitical implications intensify.
Negotiations Heat Up: Ukraine Awaits Russia's Ceasefire Terms Ahead of Istanbul Talks

Negotiations Heat Up: Ukraine Awaits Russia's Ceasefire Terms Ahead of Istanbul Talks
Ukraine is poised for a second round of peace talks in Istanbul, anticipating Russia's ceasefire proposal, while asserting its commitment to a dialogue aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.
Russia is set to dispatch a delegation to Istanbul for the second phase of peace talks with Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who indicated that Moscow is formulating conditions for a temporary ceasefire. Ukraine, for its part, is holding back its delegation until it receives clear details of Russia's proposal, underlining its stance through Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine provided its own "vision of future steps" to facilitate negotiations, insisting that Russia must agree to an unconditional ceasefire to progress further. He expressed Ukraine's desire for the discussions to continue, underlining aspirations to end the conflict within the current year.
While neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to join the Istanbul talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shared hopes of eventually hosting a high-level summit including leaders from both nations along with former U.S. President Trump.
Peskov remarked that Russia would consider high-level discussions contingent on significant progress in prior dialogues. The Kremlin also noted approval of comments from Trump's envoy to Ukraine, retired General Keith Kellogg, who acknowledged Russian apprehensions regarding NATO expansion and reaffirmed the necessity of ongoing negotiations.
In a related development, newly appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged assistance to Ukraine in manufacturing long-range missiles, aiming to bolster defenses against potential future offensives from Russia. Moscow cautioned that lifting restrictions on these missiles could gravely impact efforts to reach a peaceful resolution.
Currently, Russian forces control around 20% of Ukraine's recognized territory, which includes Crimea — annexed by Russia in 2014 — prompting pronounced tensions as the international community watches the unfolding dialogue closely.