Russia and Ukraine conclude third round of peace talks in Istanbul

Russia and Ukraine wrapped up a third round of peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, agreeing on another large-scale prisoner exchange but failing to reach consensus on a ceasefire.

Held at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, the talks were led by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine’s National Security Council head Rustem Umerov. The two sides agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war each, and Russia pledged to return 3,000 more bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

Ukraine also pushed for a summit involving Presidents Zelensky, Putin, Erdogan, and Trump by the end of August, and proposed a temporary ceasefire—especially halting strikes on civilian infrastructure. However, no breakthrough was achieved on ending hostilities.

While both sides acknowledged progress on humanitarian issues, talks on a full ceasefire remain stalled. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for “result-oriented negotiations” to end the devastating war.