Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul conclude after over an hour PHOTO / VIDEO / UPDATED

The second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul has ended.

The negotiations lasted more than an hour and were conducted in Russian, TASS reports.

The press approach by the Russian delegation is expected after the statement of the Ukrainian side.

16:09 

The second round of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia has commenced in Istanbul, as reported by TASS.

Caliber.Az writes that this round focuses on conflict resolution and exploring potential pathways to an end to the hostilities, highlighting key statements, positions of both parties, and the most significant developments related to the negotiations.

TASS further informs that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is opening the second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Before the talks on Ukraine in Istanbul, Fidan expressed hope for new agreements on prisoner exchanges. He noted that regular meetings between Russia and Ukraine are important for building trust between the parties.

“Russia and Ukraine will discuss the terms of a ceasefire, as well as the exchange of prisoners and civilians during the second round of talks in Istanbul,” the Turkish Foreign Minister said.

He also stated that the talks are expected to consider the possibility of a meeting between the leaders. The issue of a ceasefire will also be discussed.

To recall, the first face-to-face meeting in years between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations was held in Türkiye on May 16. That round of talks led to an agreement on a significant prisoner exchange deal based on a “1,000-for-1,000” framework. The exchange was successfully implemented in three phases over the past weekend.

By Khagan Isayev