Istanbul, Turkey | The first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours on Friday, and while both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, they clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed the results of the talks with US President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and Poland. In a post on X from a European leadership meeting in Albania, he urged “tough sanctions” against Moscow if it rejects “a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings”.
