Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Collapse in Istanbul as Russia Demands Full Ukrainian Withdrawal from Claimed Regions.

In a dramatic turn of events, the first direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 have ended in Istanbul without any progress, according to multiple credible sources including The Guardian, AP News, and The Kyiv Independent.

The Russian delegation walked out of the negotiations after demanding the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the four regions Russia currently claims—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine firmly rejected the ultimatum, calling it unrealistic and tantamount to surrender.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed that an “unconditional ceasefire” remains the top priority, but Kyiv refused to entertain demands that would mean abandoning sovereign territory or halting NATO aspirations.

Sources say the Russian team lacked real decision-making power, and the absence of both President Putin and President Zelenskyy at the table raised doubts about the Kremlin’s seriousness.