Russia tells Ukraine talks in Turki that progress will be “difficult” Russia-Ukraine, news war star-news.press/wp

A Russian delegation is heading to Istanbul before the last round of peace talks with its Ukrainian counterparts, and the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the negotiations are expected to be “very difficult”.

Ukrainian delegation arrived in Ankara on Wednesday to attend bilateral meetings with Turkish officials before talks with Russia in Istanbul at a later time, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters. The source added that Kyiv is ready to take important steps towards peace and a complete ceasefire.

Peskov told reporters that the talks, the third repetition in recent months, will be held in the Turkish city on Wednesday evening. The meeting, which is proposed by Ukraine last week amid the continuous pressure of the United States to reach the ceasefire, will be the first between the two sides in more than seven weeks, but the penetration expectations are silent.

“No one expects an easy way,” Peskov told reporters.

Previous rounds of the talks led to a series of war prisoners and the bodies of the fallen soldiers.

But they failed to produce a cease -fire, as Russian negotiators refused to drop strict demands that were not acceptable to Ukraine, including the abdication of four Ukrainian regions claiming Russia as Western military support.

Not expected “miracle breakthroughs”

Peskov said the talks would cover the positions shown in the draft notes presented by each side, in addition to the exchange of prisoners. On Tuesday, he said that there is no reason for “hope for some miracle breaches,” saying that this result was “barely possible.”

Rosstam Omrov, former defense minister and current secretary of the National Security Council and Defense in Ukraine, will lead Kiev’s delegation, while Russia’s delegation will once again lead a presidential advisor and former Minister of Culture Vladimir Midinski.

Ukraine has previously complained that Medinski was not a real decision maker, accusing Russia of sending officials to the talks that were not enabled to make decisions to end the conflict.

Zelenskyy determines modest aspirations

In a statement posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Foludmir Zelinski set his country’s goals of negotiations.

They did not include talks on the detailed ceasefire agreement, but instead they suggested making the necessary arrangements to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which in turn could end the war.

He said that Ukraine sought to “secure the launch of our families, the return of the kidnapped children, stop the killings, and prepare a meeting for leaders that really aim to put this war.”

“Our position is completely transparent,” he said. “Ukraine has never wanted this war, and it is Russia that must end the war that started.”

A meeting was held on the results that Ukraine needs of negotiating efforts.

The Security Council Secretary and Defense in Ukraine, Rosam Umerov, reported the implementation of the agreements reached at the second meeting with the Russian side in Istanbul, such as … pic.twitter.com/0jq1fyapc

– Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Zelenskyyua) July 22, 2025

In another statement on Tuesday, he said that the work had been carried out to prepare rounds of prisoner exchanges agreed in the previous talks with Russia.

“Throughout this spring and summer, we were able to intensify the exchange process significantly,” he said. “Among those who were freed from families, the people who have been included as being missing, as well as those who have been detained in prisons and Russian camps since before the comprehensive war.”

“Preserving the dialogue”

Rori Challands of Kiev, Rorrei Challands, said there is no expectation that the conversations will be “especially fruitful.”

“They are likely to reformulate the reasons that indicate that the previous rounds of conversations may prevail, which are mainly … facilitating the exchange of prisoners, and handing the remains of the soldiers.”

He said Kiev was also keen to raise the issue of the return of children who were transferred from lands occupied by Russia.

“But I do not think that there is any expectation here that these talks will be any big boom,” he said.

“It is likely that it is just to maintain dialogue and make sure that there is progress in those basic basic areas at least.”

The blood guidance is still

The talks are scheduled to take place as Russia continues its bloody attack against its neighbor, as its forces have escalated efforts to continue to penetrate in the east and northeastern points on the confrontation line, which is 1000 km (620 miles).

On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that its forces had seized the settlement of Voracin in the Sumi area of Ukraine, about 6 km (3.7 miles) from the border. In recent weeks, Putin announced his intention to establish a “buffer zone” in the Sumi area by occupying the Ukrainian border areas.

In other violence, the DPA news agency, quoting regional military ruler, Olexander Brocodine. He said at Telegram.

The Agency reported that the Ukrainian Air Force fired 71 drones and rough aircraft during the night, of which 45 were intercepted or shot down.