LONDON — Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to fulfill 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 succeed in a peace deal, and even obtain a sustained ceasefire, regardless of strain on each 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.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, in keeping with a readout printed by the State Division — which stated the decision came about “at Russia’s request.”
“Secretary Rubio reiterated President Trump’s name for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to attain an enduring peace,” the State Division stated.
The Russian International Ministry stated in a press release that the 2 males “exchanged views on numerous initiatives regarding the political settlement of the Ukrainian disaster.”
This mixture of images created on Could 25, 2025 reveals Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Drew Angerer/AFP through Getty Pictures
Ukraine is asking for a full 30-day ceasefire throughout which era peace negotiations can happen. Russia has refused the request, with President Vladimir Putin and his prime officers retaining maximalist conflict targets 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 stated in a Sunday social media publish that Kyiv’s delegation will likely be led by Protection Minister Rustem Umerov.
The president set out Ukraine’s targets 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 conflict inside 24 hours. Trump’s menace of additional sanctions on Russia don’t seem to have softened the Kremlin’s conflict targets.
Zelenskyy and his European backers have pushed Trump to extend strain 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 basically frustrates him.”
In a telephone dialog with Trump in Could, Putin stated Russia would supply a “peace memorandum” outlining a attainable settlement. Moscow is but to supply the doc. Vladimir Medinsky — a Putin aide and long-time member of Russia’s negotiating staff — stated Sunday that the Russian staff had acquired Ukraine’s model of the peace memorandum.
For the reason that 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 part 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 get together and the chair of the physique’s overseas affairs committee, informed ABC Information, “Russia’s major purpose is to keep away from sanctions by pretending that it negotiates.”
“Putin shouldn’t be concerned about negotiations and ceasefire, as a result of he hopes to start out an offensive throughout summer time,” Merezhko added.
A employee cleans home windows forward of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine at Ciragan Palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 2, 2025.
Murad Sezer/Reuters
“On the one hand, he imitates negotiations to keep away from Trump’s sanctions and concurrently to reveal that Russia shouldn’t be politically remoted. But, however, 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 gorgeous assaults of the conflict. In what a supply within the Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU) informed 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 1000’s of miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Zelenskyy stated that 34% of Russia’s cruise missile-carrying plane have been hit.
Talking at a summit of the Bucharest 9 and Nordic international locations in Lithuania on Monday, Zelenskyy stated of Sunday’s drone assault, “Russia should understand what it means to endure 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 without delay a problem and in addition an actual alternative for all of us. It’s a probability to finish this conflict.”
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 hearth 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 stated.
In an deal with on Sunday, Zelenskyy referred to as the Ukrainian drone assault a “sensible operation” and stated Russia “suffered actually vital losses.” The president framed the assault as a defensive measure.
“We’ll defend ourselves by all means accessible to us,” Zelenskyy stated. “Not for a single second did we wish this conflict. We provided 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 conflict.”
“Strain is actually wanted — strain on Russia that ought to deliver it again to actuality,” Zelenskyy added. “Strain by way of sanctions. Strain from our forces. Strain by way of diplomacy. All of it should work collectively.”
In the meantime, long-range drone and missile assaults continued in a single day into Monday morning.
Ukraine’s air drive stated 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 areas.
Satellite tv for pc picture reveals the injury to navy plane at Russia’s Belaya airbase, in keeping with Chris Biggers, a advisor who makes a speciality of analyzing satellite tv for pc imagery.
Chris Biggers / Umbra House
Russia’s Protection Ministry stated 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.
