ISTANBUL: Following the failure of Kyiv and Moscow to reach a ceasefire agreement during their first direct negotiations in three years, Ukraine rallied its Western friends on Friday. According to a Ukrainian source, Russia’s demands went beyond what Ukraine had previously demanded.
Delegates from the warring nations convened for the first time since March 2022, the month following Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, in response to pressure from US President Donald Trump to put a stop to the conflict.
There was no immediate statement on whether or when the parties may meet again after the negotiations, which took place in a palace in Istanbul, lasted just under two hours.
Both nations announced that they had agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side, and Russia expressed satisfaction with the negotiations.
