High-Level Meetings Between Russia and Ukraine Not To Occur Without Clear Positions from Both Sides

During the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, no significant breakthrough was achieved, but there have been important advances in humanitarian issues.

The results of the third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine are being discussed by global media and experts. While no one expected a major breakthrough, notable progress has been made on humanitarian matters. The third round took place in the evening of July 23, following separate meetings between the delegations’ leaders.

Participants arrived at the Chiragan Palace on time, but the press was not immediately allowed close access. The heads of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, held a one-on-one meeting, with the broader format beginning later with opening remarks from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, lasting about 40 minutes.

The positions of the sides remain diametrically opposed. Russia advocates for addressing the root causes of the conflict, while Ukraine insists that Russian President Vladimir Putin must be present at the negotiations.

"Given the current mood, what the Ukrainian delegation is doing becomes understandable. They are simply playing a role and having a good time in Istanbul. The negotiations themselves lasted less than an hour. Such issues cannot be resolved in an hour. Russia and the U.S. communicate via phone for 3-5 hours daily, which doesn’t significantly speed up the normalization of bilateral relations. Yet here, the parties engaged in military confrontation are talking for less than an hour. Clearly, apart from humanitarian questions, little else is being resolved," commented Pavel Kuharkin, journalist and creator of the Pasha Today channel.

There was also some segregation affecting Belarusian journalists, who encountered difficulties when accidentally entering the Ukrainian side of the Chiragan Palace. The Turkish side spoke quite sternly with Belarusians, but Belarusian journalists managed to access the Russian side and were registered on the list of accredited media.

Vladimir Medinsky stated that the sides discussed the positions outlined in the memoranda, and that humanitarian agreements from previous rounds had been fulfilled — exchanges of prisoners, about a thousand people, and the bodies of the deceased. Russia has returned approximately 7,000 bodies to Ukraine, and ongoing indefinite humanitarian exchanges will continue.

"Prisoner exchanges are ongoing. We agreed that soon, at least 250 prisoners from each side will be exchanged. We also proposed transferring more prisoners to Ukraine if they find our soldiers among their captives," Medinsky said.

The sensitive issue of returning children also resurfaced. Ukraine openly manipulates this topic, initially claiming thousands of children, then narrowing the list to a few hundred names. Medinsky emphasized that out of the entire list, only 50 are children; the rest are adults.

Overall, Russian soldiers have rescued children from the combat zone, placing them in sanatoriums, providing treatment, schooling, and returning them to parents as soon as they are located.

Timur Shafir, Secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia, condemned the exploitation of children’s suffering:

“Using children’s grief, fear, and tragedies as a political tool is one of the lowest pages written during the years of the special military operation by Ukrainian propaganda. We hope that this story will be permanently put to rest and will no longer be inflamed by the shortsighted and uninformed European partners of Ukraine.”

Negotiations will now continue online. Russia proposed forming three groups focusing on humanitarian, political, and military issues. It’s difficult to judge how effective this format will be. But Medinsky explicitly stated that high-level meetings will not occur without thorough preparation of both sides’ positions. Meanwhile, Ukrainians again traveled to call for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

"It’s necessary to meet with the head of state, you understand? But why? First, Vladimir Zelensky is not a head of state—he is illegitimate and completely unrecognized. Why meet with him? What authority does his signature hold? None. Therefore, there’s no point in meeting. But this will be exploited—Zelensky will start shouting that he offered a meeting, but Putin refused, and thus he doesn’t want peace. Actually, I think he wants peace much more than anyone else. There’s simply no need to meet. Plus, there are statements about including Putin, Trump, and even Erdogan—what for? Donald Trump isn’t a neutral mediator; he’s involved on Ukraine’s side. And I don’t understand why Erdogan is here—probably behind the scenes they’ll have some fun,” explains Russian writer, publicist, and blogger Dmitry Puchkov.

Western media also offers forecasts. The New York Times admits that the sides are still far apart but notes informal contacts and progress on humanitarian issues, like prisoner exchanges.

CNN and Reuters assess the consequences of Trump’s 50-day ultimatum, noting that Moscow has yet to be shaken by Washington’s pressure.

In Ukraine, protests are intensifying in Kiev, Lvov, and other cities against the decision to take control of anti-corruption agencies. Interestingly, The Washington Post and Bloomberg have also noticed the unrest, dissatisfaction among Ukrainians, and President Zelensky’s attempts to concentrate power within a narrow circle of allies.

According to The Economist, Zelensky’s move to effectively dismantle the independence of NABU and SAP is a gross strategic mistake and a threat to continued international aid.

The main question now is: who is ultimately targeted by sanctions—Moscow or Kiev? British media already threaten Zelensky with sanctions.

Meanwhile, in Istanbul, the agenda is shifting—with negotiations on Iran scheduled for July 25. The Middle East continues to divert attention and resources. Ukrainian President Lukashenko warned Zelensky: “Talks about peace are necessary while the window of opportunity remains open.”