Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expected them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war.
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A Ukrainian delegation led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov sat down with a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, who published a photo of the meeting.
The officials present sat around a U-shaped table, with the Russians and Ukrainians facing each other.
A senior Ukrainian official close to the talks said that Kyiv’s delegation was prepared to “achieve a lot today” and with a real mandate to resolve key issues.
The official, who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make official statements, said the outcome hinges on whether Moscow is equally serious.
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Both countries have tried to persuade US President Donald Trump, who has expressed frustration over the slow progress and threatened to punish foot-dragging, that they are eager to resolve the conflict amid extensive diplomatic manoeuvring.