MOSCOW: The process of settling the Ukrainian conflict is of interest to many people in different countries of the world. We will tell you what is known about the results of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on May 16, 2025.
The views of many political scientists and ordinary citizens are directed to Turkey: it is in this country that the issue of a peaceful end to the armed conflict in Ukraine can be decided. In the article, we will analyze who is participating in the process, what the parties want and what were the results of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on May 16, 2025.
Postponement of negotiations to May 16
Initially, the meeting of the delegations of the interested parties was supposed to take place on May 15, but in the end the negotiations were postponed to the next day.
The meeting of representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine was scheduled for 12:00 on May 16, but it began only at 13:30 Moscow time.
Progress of the negotiations in Istanbul on May 16
We will tell you what is known about the negotiation process at the moment.
Composition of the delegations and the format of the meeting
The delegation from the Russian side was approved by Vladimir Putin the day before. The head of the Russian diplomats was Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to the president, who had already taken part in similar negotiations in 2022. The group also included:
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Galuzin;
Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov;
Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Alexander Fomin.
A list of experts was separately approved, which included representatives of the presidential administration, the General Staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Zelensky approved the final composition of the Ukrainian delegation on the evening of May 15. It was headed by the country's Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov. The negotiating group also included:
Deputy Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine Alexander Poklad;
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Kyslytsya;
First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Oleg Lugovskoy;
and eight more representatives of the presidential office and the Ministry of Defense.
Earlier, the media reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was going to personally attend the meeting between Russia and Ukraine - he met with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Ukraine as part of the trilateral talks. However, the politician did not go to the meeting of Russian and Ukrainian diplomats: instead, he said that some US representatives could take part in it.
The trilateral meeting in the Turkey-Russia-Ukraine format took place in the working office of the presidential administration in the Dolmabahce Palace. This is the first official meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in three years: the last time the representatives of the parties communicated was on March 29, 2022 in Istanbul.
The event took place in two stages: first, the most important issues were discussed by representatives of the United States, Ukraine and Turkey, and then a meeting of Russian and Ukrainian diplomats took place in the presence of their Turkish colleagues. The negotiations themselves were held behind closed doors. The dialogue lasted less than two hours.
Main issues discussed
It is known that Ukrainian diplomats primarily insisted on a ceasefire. Ukraine was also interested in exchanging prisoners of war, but only on the "all for all" formula.
Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
Results and agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine
Almost immediately after the completion of the negotiations on May 16, it became known that the parties would conduct a prisoner exchange of 1,000 for 1,000 people. The first to announce this was the representative of the Ukrainian side, Rustem Umerov.
The information was then confirmed by Vladimir Medinsky. According to him, Russia and Ukraine will soon present their vision of a possible long-term ceasefire in detail. After that, the negotiations are planned to continue.
The Ukrainian side also requested an official meeting of the leaders of the two states. Medinsky responded that this request was taken into account. "In general, we are satisfied with the result," the presidential aide told the press.
Positions of the parties: what Putin and Zelensky are trying to achieve
The Russians arrived in Istanbul with the task of agreeing on a real ceasefire on acceptable terms. In the long term, to establish long-term peace by eliminating the initial causes of the conflict. This is the position voiced by Vladimir Putin, and the head of the diplomatic delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, told journalists the same. The Russian Federation views the negotiations in Istanbul as a direct continuation of the process interrupted in 2022.
The Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations with Russia again demanded a long-term ceasefire, indicating that this is a necessary step to begin a peaceful settlement. At the same time, earlier, at a press conference with journalists, Zelensky called on the West to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation and refused to recognize Crimea as Russian. He did not participate in the negotiation process, and on May 15, he left Turkey.
Reaction of the international community
After talking with Volodymyr Zelensky and following the talks between diplomatic delegations, Turkish leader Recep Erdogan said he was ready to organize a personal meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine. Many politicians believe that agreements can only be achieved through high-level communication.
The Americans did not expect much from the process either. Even before the start of the talks in Istanbul, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that he did not see the possibility of a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict without a direct meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. At a meeting with journalists in Abu Dhabi on May 16, the US President confirmed his intention to meet with the Russian leader.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted that such peace initiatives can be considered a positive signal, albeit a small one. He added that efforts should be continued in the same direction, but the EU should not stop supporting Ukraine.
Prospects for a further peace process
Based on the events of recent weeks, one can conclude that Russia is ready to make peace. But only from a strong position, since the advantage on the battlefield is clearly now in favor of the Russian Armed Forces, and further negotiations should take this into account.
How exactly Ukraine's security and neutrality will be ensured in the future is an open question for discussion. At the same time, representatives of the Russian Federation will insist on the fulfillment of the main conditions: the Ukrainian Armed Forces' entry to the borders of new Russian territories, the demilitarization of Ukraine, and a ban on joining military-political alliances hostile to Russia.
The whole question is whether the Ukrainian side will agree to this. The proposal to introduce peacekeeping forces into Ukraine has been repeatedly considered, which Russia categorically rejects. Also, European leaders are already negotiating a new package of economic sanctions for the Russian Federation.
In such a situation, it is very important how the United States will behave. If the American authorities stop supporting the war and put more pressure on Ukraine, then a peaceful settlement can be expected soon. If this does not happen, then not only the continuation of the conflict is likely, but also its escalation.
Vasily Bakholdin
Author News Mail
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