Overview
- Russian officials told state media they are ready to restart direct negotiations in Istanbul and say the ball is in Ukraine’s court.
- Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister said peace talks were halted this year because they produced no significant progress.
- Earlier Istanbul rounds yielded humanitarian steps such as prisoner exchanges and returns of bodies but no political settlement.
- A Ukrainian policy adviser described Moscow’s talk of readiness as pressure tactics and a form of blackmail rather than a genuine peace bid.
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow remains prepared for a Putin–Trump summit in Budapest, while the US side has emphasized any leader meeting must deliver a concrete result on Ukraine.