Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who mediated the session, confirmed the delegations had “adjourned without setting a date for resumption.” Neither side planned a joint statement.
Earlier in the day, Kyiv had met separately with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Fidan; Washington described those consultations as “close coordination” before the trilateral round.
Moscow’s demands labeled ‘detached from reality’
A diplomat briefed on the closed-door talks said Russia tabled what it called a ceasefire package but insisted that Kyiv withdraw from “parts of its own territory” and accept other conditions described as ultimatums.
“These proposals were detached from reality and far beyond anything previously discussed,” the source said, requesting anonymity.
Kyiv seeks unconditional ceasefire, warns of sanctions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement that Kyiv’s top priority remains “a full, unconditional and honest ceasefire to stop the killing and create a solid basis for diplomacy.”
He urged Western allies to impose “strong new sanctions” on Russia’s energy and banking sectors if Moscow refuses.
Russia’s delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, made no immediate comment. The Kremlin has said it wants to end the war through diplomacy but insists any truce must meet its security concerns.
The Istanbul encounter was the first direct negotiation since March 2022, a month after Russia’s invasion.
Hopes for progress were already low after Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump declined to attend, although Zelenskyy travelled to Turkey for side meetings.
Turkey, which brokered the now-defunct Black Sea grain corridor, has sought to revive its mediator role.
The conflict, in its fourth year, has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and disrupted global food and energy supplies.
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Source: Polskie Radio 24, Reuters