Russian and Ukrainian delegates could meet for a third round of peace negotiations in Turkey later this week, Turkish and Russian media reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
An anonymous source told Russia’s state news agency TASS that a meeting “for the end of the week is being discussed, dates are being clarified.” Sources previously told TASS that talks would likely take place in Istanbul, where the first two rounds of peace negotiations were held.
Earlier, the Turkish version of The Independent cited diplomatic sources saying that Russian and Ukrainian delegates could meet in Istanbul on either Thursday or Friday, though the exact location of their possible meeting was still being discussed.
The Kremlin later on Monday appeared to confirm that planning for another round of negotiations was underway, adding that it would inform the public when specific dates were chosen. But it also sought to temper expectations ahead of those talks, saying that “a lot of diplomatic work still lies ahead.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that Ukraine had proposed a new round of peace talks with Moscow for the upcoming week, emphasizing that he was willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in person.
“A meeting at the level of leaders is needed to truly ensure peace — a really lasting one,” Zelensky said in a nightly address. “Ukraine is ready for such a meeting.”
“Dialogue with the Russian side on prisoner exchanges is ongoing — we are continuing to implement the agreements reached during the earlier meeting in Istanbul,” Zelensky said. “Our team is currently working on another exchange.”
Russia and Ukraine have held two rounds of direct peace talks this year, the first on May 16 and the second on June 2. Both rounds took place in Istanbul.
While the two warring sides agreed to major prisoner exchanges during the talks, there has so far been no breakthrough in reaching a broad ceasefire agreement, let alone an end to the full-scale invasion, which Putin launched in February 2022.
The reports of a possible third round of peace negotiations came a week after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to Putin, demanding that the Kremlin leader end the war against Ukraine in 50 days or face a new round of sanctions.
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