Second Round Of Russia-Ukraine peace Talks Begin In Instanbul

ISTANBUL – Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul on Monday for a brief round of talks lasting less than an hour, resulting in an agreement to swap more prisoners of war and return 12,000 bodies, 6,000 from each side.

While this humanitarian development marks a rare point of consensus, no progress was made toward a lasting ceasefire. Russia continues to push for a long-term settlement, while Ukraine maintains that Russia is not genuinely interested in peace.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised the talks and expressed hope for a future summit involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and former U.S. President Donald Trump. However, such a meeting remains speculative, and no additional major issues were resolved during Monday’s discussions.

The conflict, now deeply entrenched, shows few signs of easing, even as international observers hope these small steps toward cooperation may eventually lead to broader peace efforts.