Direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have ended without significant progress, despite agreeing to swap thousands of dead and wounded soldiers. The two delegations met in Turkey on Monday for the second round of direct negotiations in just over two weeks.
Russia presented a memorandum outlining its terms for ending hostilities, including withdrawal from annexed regions, halting mobilization efforts, and freezing Western arms deliveries. Ukraine rejected these demands, with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stating that Kyiv officials need time to review the document.
The talks also led to an agreement to set up a commission to exchange seriously wounded troops and swap 6,000 bodies from the battlefield. However, Zelenskyy expressed skepticism over Russia’s readiness for a ceasefire, saying they see it as just “a brief pause in the war.”
Fighting continues along the front line, with both sides hitting each other’s territory with deep strikes. Shelling has also targeted Ukrainian cities, including Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine’s success in targeting Russian air bases may have put pressure on Moscow to engage in diplomacy. The head of the University of St. Andrews’ strategic studies department described the attack as “a military and strategic game-changer.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-talks-drone-attacks-0c2e0a4aeccd86c3fe18edf5cc73b250