Russia says the talks about the war in Ukraine are complicated, and there is no quick solution in sight. They warn people not to expect fast progress from the ongoing negotiations.
“It would be wrong to expect immediate solutions and breakthroughs,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday, a day after Moscow rejected Kyiv’s call for an unconditional ceasefire during talks in Istanbul.
The latest talks lasted less than two hours and led to a large prisoner swap between the two sides. Both Russia and Ukraine shared their peace plans, which they called “memorandums.”
This war has now been going on for almost four years. It has caused tens of thousands of deaths and forced millions of people to leave their homes in eastern Ukraine. Even though the two countries have talked a few times, they still have big disagreements on many important issues.
According to Russian news, Moscow wants Ukraine to remove its troops from four regions in the east and south. Russia says it controls these areas now. This is Russia’s condition before it will stop its military actions. Instead of agreeing to a full ceasefire, which Ukraine asked for, Russia offered a short pause in fighting lasting only two or three days in some front areas.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, rejected Russia’s offers. He said Russia is using the same old demands again and is not serious about stopping the fighting.
A Russian government spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said a meeting between the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States is unlikely to happen soon. He said such a summit could only take place after the negotiators make real progress.
Earlier, the White House said that U.S. President Donald Trump was open to such a meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also support the idea.
At the same time, the fighting got worse. Zelensky said Russia attacked civilians in the city of Sumy, near the border, killing four people. He said this attack shows that Russia does not really want to end the war and asked the U.S. and Europe to take stronger actions.
Among the 20 people hurt in the Sumy attack was a seven-year-old girl who is very seriously injured. Three more people died in another attack in the Kharkiv region.
Russia’s military said it captured the village of Andriivka in the Sumy area, about five kilometers from the border. Zelensky warned that Russia is planning a big attack there, with about 50,000 soldiers ready.
Ukraine’s security service said it damaged a support pillar of the Crimean Bridge, which connects Crimea to Russia, by using an underwater bomb. The damage is not clear yet, but the bridge was closed for a short time.
In Washington, top Ukrainian officials came for important talks with U.S. leaders about defense help, financial support, and possible new punishments for Russia.
Although President Trump said he could end the war quickly if re-elected, he has not added new punishments on Russia. Reports say Trump is frustrated with both Zelensky and Putin as the war continues without an end.
