Ukraine-Russia peace talks resume in Istanbul after surprise drone attack

LONDON — Ukrainian and Russian delegations met once more in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday to participate within the subsequent spherical of U.S.-brokered peace talks supposed to finish Russia’s 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor. The talks come simply at some point after Ukraine launched an audacious drone assault on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet.

Revived talks thus far have failed to achieve a peace deal, and even obtain a sustained ceasefire, regardless of stress on either side by President Donald Trump’s administration. The final assembly between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul in mid-Could was the primary direct contact between the 2 sides since spring 2022.

The Ukrainian Protection Ministry confirmed to ABC Information on Monday morning that talks resumed at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, ending simply over an hour later. Ukrainian Protection Minister Rustem Umerov mentioned the 2 sides agreed on additional prisoner exchanges and mentioned a gathering between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine is asking for a full 30-day ceasefire throughout which period peace negotiations can happen. Russia has refused the request, with President Vladimir Putin and his prime officers retaining maximalist warfare objectives courting again to the opening days of the Russian invasion.

Among the many Kremlin’s calls for are the annexation of 4 Ukrainian areas — plus the retention of Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014 — Ukrainian demilitarization and a everlasting block on the nation’s accession to NATO.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in a Sunday social media put up that Kyiv’s delegation could be led by Umerov.

The president set out Ukraine’s objectives for the assembly. “First — a full and unconditional ceasefire,” he wrote. “Second — the discharge of prisoners. Third — the return of kidnapped kids. And with a purpose to set up a dependable and lasting peace and guarantee safety, preparation of the assembly on the highest degree.”

Zelenskyy and his authorities have repeatedly accused Putin of deliberately sabotaging peace talks since Trump returned to workplace in January, having promised on the marketing campaign path to finish the warfare inside 24 hours. Trump’s risk of additional sanctions on Russia don’t seem to have softened the Kremlin’s warfare objectives.

Zelenskyy and his European backers have pushed Trump to extend stress on Putin by introducing new sanctions on Russia and offering Ukraine with extra navy help. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine-Russia envoy, hinted on the president’s rising frustration with Moscow, telling ABC Information final week that the president has “seen a degree of unreasonableness that actually frustrates him.”

In a telephone dialog with Trump in Could, Putin mentioned Russia would offer a “peace memorandum” outlining a doable settlement. Moscow is but to offer the doc. Vladimir Medinsky — a Putin aide and long-time member of Russia’s negotiating group — mentioned Sunday that the Russian group had acquired Ukraine’s model of the peace memorandum.

Because the final spherical of talks in Istanbul, Trump has hit out at Putin — calling him “completely loopy” — and once more criticized Zelenskyy, saying of the Ukrainian chief, “Every little thing out of his mouth causes issues, I do not prefer it, and it higher cease.”

Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament representing Zelenskyy’s occasion and the chair of the physique’s international affairs committee, instructed ABC Information, “Russia’s main aim is to keep away from sanctions by pretending that it negotiates.”

“Putin isn’t all for negotiations and ceasefire, as a result of he hopes to begin an offensive throughout summer time,” Merezhko added.

“On the one hand, he imitates negotiations to keep away from Trump’s sanctions and concurrently to display that Russia isn’t politically remoted. But, alternatively, Putin hopes that if Trump will determine to withdraw from the negotiations, he’ll go away Ukraine with out navy help, one-on-one with Russia.”

The talks come a day after Ukraine launched one of the crucial gorgeous assaults of the warfare. In what a supply within the Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU) instructed ABC Information was an operation one and a half years within the making, operatives used assault drones hid in containers carried by vehicles to assault strategic bomber bases deep inside Russian territory.

Moscow has used long-range bombers and their cruise missile armaments to assault Ukrainian cities all through the full-scale invasion. The SBU claimed to have hit greater than 40 navy plane within the assaults, which focused a number of air bases hundreds of miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Zelenskyy mentioned that 34% of Russia’s cruise missile-carrying plane have been hit.

Talking at a summit of the Bucharest 9 and Nordic nations in Lithuania on Monday, Zelenskyy mentioned of Sunday’s drone assault, “Russia should notice what it means to undergo losses. That’s what will push it towards diplomacy.”

“This can be a particular second,” Zelenskyy added. “On the one hand, Russia has began its summer time offensive. However on the opposite, it’s compelled to take part in diplomacy. And that is directly a problem and in addition an actual alternative for all of us. It’s a likelihood to finish this warfare.”

Russia’s Protection Ministry framed the operation as “a terrorist assault,” claiming that the strikes have been “repelled” in three areas, however noting that a number of plane caught fireplace at airfields throughout the assaults in Irkutsk and Murmansk — movies of which the SBU printed.

Additionally on Sunday, Russian authorities reported the collapse of two railway bridges and derailment of two trains in areas bordering Ukraine, which they blamed on “explosions.” At the very least seven folks have been killed, authorities mentioned.

In an tackle on Sunday, Zelenskyy referred to as the Ukrainian drone assault a “sensible operation” and mentioned Russia “suffered actually vital losses.” The president framed the assault as a defensive measure.

“We are going to defend ourselves by all means accessible to us,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “Not for a single second did we would like this warfare. We supplied the Russians a ceasefire. Since March 11, the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the desk. It was the Russians who selected to proceed the warfare.”

“Stress is actually wanted — stress on Russia that ought to carry it again to actuality,” Zelenskyy added. “Stress by means of sanctions. Stress from our forces. Stress by means of diplomacy. All of it should work collectively.”

Ivan Stupak, a former officer within the SBU, instructed ABC Information that Ukrainians count on a big Russian response — “most likely mass drone assaults on civilians or utilizing Oreshnik ballistic missiles.”

“I feel there will likely be zero impression on peace negotiations,” Stupak added, citing the continued Russian floor offensives grinding ahead and capturing — even when at nice price — extra territory in jap Ukraine, which the Kremlin will hope to leverage.

In the meantime, long-range drone and missile assaults continued in a single day into Monday morning.

Ukraine’s air drive mentioned Russia launched 80 drones and 4 missiles into the nation in a single day, of which 52 have been shot down or neutralized. The air drive reported impacts in 12 places.

Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned it shot down 162 Ukrainian drones over 9 Russian areas in a single day.

ABC Information’ Ellie Kaufman and Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.