Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a new round of direct peace negotiations in Istanbul on Monday, June 2, amid mounting international pressure and skepticism over Moscow’s intentions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a recent call that Moscow is finalizing a memorandum to present at the talks. “Our delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to submit our proposals and explain them in full,” Lavrov said in a video message.
Ukraine has agreed to participate but insists on receiving Russia’s peace terms in advance to avoid another unproductive meeting. “We are open to dialogue but expect to review Russia’s memorandum before their departure,” said Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. “Diplomacy must be meaningful—the next meeting must deliver results.”
The previous round of face-to-face talks on May 16, also in Istanbul, was the first in over three years but ended in a stalemate.
Ukraine says it has already laid out its peace terms and demands clarity from Russia. Moscow, meanwhile, continues to press for conditions Kyiv deems unacceptable—such as abandoning NATO ambitions and ceding occupied territory.
On the ground, fighting has intensified, with both sides launching deadly strikes. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been seeking to mediate, voiced frustration with Russia’s ongoing attacks. “If I think we’re close to a deal, I don’t want to ruin it with more bombing,” he told reporters, dismissing calls for harsher sanctions on Moscow.
Russia has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal for a trilateral summit with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, insisting such a meeting would only be viable after progress is made in bilateral negotiations.
Speaking in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of stalling. “They will always find excuses to prolong the war,” he said, warning of a new Russian troop buildup near the northeastern Sumy region. Ukrainian officials report that more than 50,000 Russian troops have been deployed and that several settlements have fallen under Russian control as part of what Putin calls a “buffer zone.”
Now in its third year, the war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and left eastern and southern Ukraine in ruins. Russia continues to occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, annexed in 2014.
