Overview

• The talks began in Istanbul on July 23 with Ukraine led by Rustem Umerov and Russia represented by Vladimir Medinsky.
• Negotiators are revisiting prisoner of war exchanges, the return of children abducted by Russia and the groundwork for a potential Zelenskyy-Putin summit.
• Previous rounds in May and June delivered large-scale swaps of prisoners and soldiers’ remains but produced no ceasefire or binding peace framework.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that “no one expects an easy road” and predicted limited diplomatic gains.
• U.S. President Trump’s 50-day ceasefire ultimatum and Turkey’s ongoing mediation continue to shape the fragile negotiation process.