TURKEY URGES CEASEFIRE, US SETS DEADLINE
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who opened the talks, urged the delegations to move toward a ceasefire.
“Our aim is to end this bloody war, which has a very high cost, as soon as possible,” he said. “The ultimate goal is a ceasefire that will pave the way for peace.”
The talks follow earlier meetings in Istanbul in May and June, which yielded agreements on prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of soldiers’ remains.
The latest negotiations come as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Russia. Last week, Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to end the war or face additional sanctions.
Despite the ultimatum, the Kremlin signalled no change in stance. “No one expects an easy road. It will be very difficult,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
A Ukrainian delegation source told AFP before the talks that progress would depend on whether Russia adopted a more constructive approach. “Everything will depend on whether Russia stops speaking in ultimatums,” the source said.
Russia has so far insisted Ukraine withdraw from four eastern and southern regions it claims to have annexed in 2022, a demand Kyiv rejects as non-negotiable. Ukraine has also ruled out any territorial concessions, including Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.
