Overview

• Russia and Ukraine held their first direct public negotiations in Istanbul since 2022, with delegations led by Medinsky and Umerov and mediation by Turkey and the United States.
• The two sides agreed on a mass prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees each, marking the most tangible outcome of the talks.
• Both delegations committed to submitting detailed written proposals for a potential ceasefire, though no agreement on an unconditional truce was reached.
• Tensions ran high as both sides exchanged public insults, with Ukraine criticizing the Russian delegation’s authority and Russia dismissing Zelensky’s government.
• No leader-level summit between Putin and Zelensky has been scheduled, but negotiators left open the possibility of future meetings.