Russia has proposed a new round of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, aiming to secure a lasting ceasefire. The renewed diplomatic push comes as Ukraine faces heavy bombardment and aerial exchanges with Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hopes that all parties genuinely interested in the peace process will support the negotiations. Ukraine responded by submitting its version of the memorandum on peace, urging Moscow to share its document without delay.
The talks follow a rare meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on May 16, which resulted in an exchange of prisoners but failed to produce a ceasefire. Russia has insisted that certain conditions must be met before halting military operations.
United States President Donald Trump has expressed pressure on Russia to move forward with the talks. He suggested that Putin might be stalling the peace process and warned that imposing sanctions could derail the fragile ceasefire efforts.
Meanwhile, Germany and Ukraine announced plans to jointly develop long-range missiles as part of their defence cooperation. The development comes after range restrictions were lifted on Western-provided weapons for Ukraine.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/28/russia-proposes-new-round-of-istanbul-talks-ukraine-yet-to-respond