Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have already finished, sources say – but Russian media reports say they’re just paused. Zelenskyy has accused Putin of being scared to meet him. Follow the latest below.
Friday 16 May 2025 13:54, UK
While we’ve just brought you reports of talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine ending (see 13.24 post), that doesn’t seem to be the case – according to Russian media, at least.
“The negotiations are not over. The parties have taken a break,” Russian state news agency Ria Novosti says.
Ukrainian sources earlier disagreed.
And we heard how angry they reportedly are at Russia’s “unrealistic” demands.
We’ll bring you more here as we get it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has posted on X about his speech in Albania.
Here’s what his tweet says:
I addressed the European Political Community Summit.
This week, we had a real chance to move toward ending the war — if only Putin hadn’t been afraid to come to Türkiye.
I was there ready for a direct meeting with him to resolve all key issues.
He didn’t agree to anything.
A bit more from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech during a European conference in Albania just now…
Speaking of the low-level representation sent by Russia for talks with Ukraine in Istanbul today, Zelenskyy said: “Russia sent almost the same people it sent in 2022.
“They show that Russia has not changed its basic approach.
“They make many statements, many threats, that solve nothing.
“They are doing everything they can to turn this Istanbul meeting into a staged, empty process.
“Just like… in 2022.”
Zelenskyy was speaking before the news the talks in Turkey had ended.
Russia has made demands which are unrealistic and go far beyond anything previously discussed, a Ukrainian diplomatic source says.
The source said some of Russia’s demands included the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from its territory for a ceasefire to be implemented.
There were other “non-starters”, the source says.
Delegations for Russia and Ukraine have been meeting in Istanbul today for peace talks.
Talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations – the first direct meeting between the two warring parties in three years – have finished, according to a Turkish foreign ministry source.
The bodies of 909 Ukrainian soldiers have been returned to Ukraine, the coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war says.
The soldiers were from areas including Kurakhiv, Pokrovsky, Bakhmut, Vugledar, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kharkiv.
Others came from morgues in the territory of the Russian Federation, a post on Telegram says.
Russia is in a “far worse position now” compared to 2022, when direct negotiations with Ukraine last took place, security and defence analyst, Professor Michael Clarke, has been telling Sky News.
Speaking with talks between Russia and Ukraine under way in Istanbul, Clarke said: “Compared to 2022, the Russians are in a far worse position now than they were then because in 2022, they thought, ‘it’s only a matter of time before we take the whole country’.
“Now they know the best that they can do – for the next year, two years, three years – is take the Donbas and maybe some of Zaporizhzhia.
“They’re not going to get any further than that militarily at the moment.”
Clarke will be back answering your Ukraine war questions at 1.20pm in his weekly Q&A – click below to follow along then.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been speaking from that European meeting in Albania (see our 12.15 post), where he has said the world “must respond” to Russia if its peace efforts turn out to be “theatrical”.
The president spoke with direct talks between Russia and Ukraine under way in Istanbul – the first meeting between the warring parties in three years.
“The world must respond, there needs to be a strong reaction including sanctions against Russia’s energy sector and banks. Pressure must continue to rise until real progress is made,” the president said as he spoke from the conference in Tirana.
Zelenskyy reiterated calls for a ceasefire as he said: “We need a full stop to the killing long enough to give diplomacy a real chance.”
The Ukrainian president also said: “Our number one priority is a full, unconditional and honest ceasefire.
“This must happen immediately to stop the killing and create a solid basis for diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said.
“And if the Russian representatives in Istanbul today cannot even agree to that, to a ceasefire … then it will be 100% clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomacy,” he said.
Back to the battlefield, where Russia is claiming a success today.
Russian troops have captured the village of Vilne Pole in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to the Russian defence ministry.
The claim is yet to be independently verified but shows the ongoing fighting, despite today’s direct talks between Russians and Ukrainians.
Earlier, we also brought you reports of explosions in Dnipro (see 11.26 post).
While talks are under way in Istanbul, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Albania for a summit.
He’s been welcomed to the European Political Community Summit by the country’s prime minister Edi Rama at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana.
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