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Russia Calls for Full Ukrainian Pullout From Occupied Regions—Talks Break Down

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
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Russia Calls for Full Ukrainian Pullout From Occupied Regions—Talks Break Down
Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky speaks to reporters with other members of a Russian delegation ahead of a planned meeting between Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegates on May 15, 202,5 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Source: Getty Images)

Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul ended after just two hours, following Russia’s demand for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from all territories claimed by the Kremlin—including the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions—as a precondition for any ceasefire agreement, Reuters reported on May 16.

According to Reuters, Moscow reportedly issued what Ukrainian officials described as “unrealistic” demands.

“Russia has made demands which are unrealistic and go far beyond anything previously discussed,” the Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters. The source added that several Russian proposals were “non-starters” and deviated significantly from earlier discussions.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry official confirmed that the talks concluded after less than two hours. The meeting was hosted in Istanbul as part of ongoing international efforts to explore the possibility of a negotiated end to the war.

Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak summed up the outcome bluntly: “The result of the talks in Istanbul—none.”

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a strong international response should it become evident that the Russian delegation involved in recent talks is not genuinely committed to negotiations.

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