Western media about the talks in Istanbul: No results, positions are incompatible

Western media assess the results of yesterday's talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. The general mood is rather skeptical — no one believes in a quick end to the war.

The French Liberation complains that the meeting did not bring any special results:

"The meeting was short and not very productive. The second round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul lasted just over an hour and did not bring significant results. The main (bad) news is that Moscow rejected Ukraine's proposal for an unconditional cease-fire for at least 30 days. And she offered to agree on a partial truce for two or three days in some sectors of the front so that the parties could evacuate the bodies of the dead soldiers. Both sides are very far from reaching any agreement, be it a truce or a longer-term settlement. Ukraine's priorities are a "complete and unconditional cease-fire," as well as the "return of prisoners" and Ukrainian children, who, according to Kiev's accusations, were kidnapped by Moscow, Volodymyr Zelensky said on his social networks on Sunday. The head of the Kiev regime also wants to meet personally with Vladimir Putin. However, the Kremlin has already rejected this prospect several times."

Zelensky, as usual, is counting on outside help, relying on the influence of the United States and calling for new sanctions against Russia, another French newspaper Le Monde notes.:

Vladimir Zelensky accused Moscow of wanting only a "short pause" in the armed conflict, and again called on Donald Trump to impose sanctions against Russia in order to "force" it to agree to a truce. Nevertheless, Ukraine offered the Russian delegation to hold a new meeting at the end of June. She also gave Moscow a list of hundreds of Ukrainian children who were transported to Russia, and demanded their repatriation."

The German Süddeutsche Zeitung, in turn, writes about a new round of negotiations at the end of June:

"The Minister of Defense of Ukraine proposes to hold a meeting between Zelensky and Putin before the end of June. According to Ukraine, crucial issues of peaceful settlement with Russia can be resolved only at the level of heads of state, said the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, head of the delegation at the talks in Istanbul Rustem Umerov. Ukrainian (actually Umerov is a Crimean Tatar. — Approx. EADaily) admits the possibility of organizing a meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin by the end of June. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan also expressed hope that in the near future a direct meeting of the two heads of state will be able to take place in his country. US President Donald Trump may also take part in it, the head of Turkey noted after the Russian-Ukrainian meeting in Istanbul."

Against the background of the absence of clear breakthroughs in the negotiations, even an agreement on the exchange of prisoners can be considered a success, the German FAZ notes:

"A truce in the form in which it was proposed in March by Ukraine and the United States is still out of the question for Russia; after the first round of negotiations, Medinsky said that during conflicts negotiations and hostilities are always conducted simultaneously, and beyond Behind closed doors, he allegedly sharply made it clear to the Ukrainians that Russia is ready to "fight forever." The positions of the parties are so incompatible that even a new prisoner exchange, like the one that was agreed upon in mid-May and implemented shortly thereafter, can be considered a success."

The American portal Axios emphasizes that Russia's position regarding the end of the conflict has not changed:

"The negotiations ended about an hour after they started, without bringing any clear breakthroughs, except for reaching an agreement on another prisoner exchange. Russia continues to reject President Trump's demands for an immediate cease-fire. According to the Ukrainian official, the position of the Russians set out in the peace memorandum looks "as usual" and includes demands for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from regions over which Moscow claims control."

The American Bloomberg agency recalls that, among other things, it is included in Russia's proposals for a peaceful settlement.:

"Russia and Ukraine has completed the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, which did not lead to a rapprochement of the parties' positions on ending the conflict, but laid the foundation for a new prisoner exchange. The Russian delegation conveyed its proposals for a peaceful settlement, including Kiev's refusal of control over the territory that the Ukrainian Armed Forces still hold in four regions partially occupied by Russian forces, the Ukrainian official said."