On 2 June 2025, there was a second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, but no concrete solution could be found. Ukraine demanded a 30 -day full and unconditional ceasefire, which Russia rejected outright.
Defense Minister Rustom Umerov led the talks on behalf of Ukraine, while Vladimir Medinski represented Russia. In addition to the ceasefire, Ukraine demanded the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of the kidnapped children by Russia. Russia proposed 2-3 days of temporary ceasefire in limited areas to collect the bodies of dead soldiers.
However, the two sides agreed to exchange bodies of 6,000–6,000 dead soldiers and release of seriously injured prisoners. Ukraine submitted a list of 339 kidnapped children to Russia, whose return has been sought.
Russia laid down strict conditions for the ceasefire, including four Ukrainian regions – Donnetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizia and Kherason – control and Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO. Ukraine described these demands as unacceptable and said that they are similar to surrender.
A day before the talks, Ukraine carried out drone attacks on five distance military airports in Russia, causing damage to more than 40 military aircraft in Russia. Russia called it a “Russian Pearl Harbor”.
Ukraine’s President Wloadimir Zelansky warned that if the talks fail, more stringent restrictions should be imposed on Russia. He appealed to the US and the European Union to increase pressure on Russia.
The talks in the mediation of US President Donald Trump did not yield any concrete results. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan described the talks as a positive step towards dialogue and in future the possibility of a high -level meeting between Zelanceci, Putin and Trump.
Both sides have agreed to the possibility of a third round of talks in late June, emphasizing the participation of top leaders. However, conflict at the ground level continues and no concrete progress has been made towards peace.
