On May 16, 2025, the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022 ended in Istanbul, which, according to Bloomberg, were marked by tough demands from the Russian delegation. The agency's sources report that Russia demanded that Ukraine adopt a neutral status without the deployment of foreign troops or weapons of mass destruction, completely renounce claims to war reparations for damage caused, and acknowledge the loss of Crimea, as well as four regions. The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, according to The Economist correspondent Oliver Carroll, said that President Vladimir Putin would agree to a ceasefire only after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from these regions and their surrender to Russian control, with subsequent international recognition of them as Russian. These conditions provoked sharp criticism from the West, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk predicted "very difficult days" for Europe.

The talks, mediated by Turkey, lasted just over an hour and made little progress, Axios reports. The only achievement was an agreement on a 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange, which would be the largest in the conflict. However, Russia's demands, including territorial concessions and the waiver of reparations, were rejected by Ukraine as "unrealistic." Commenting on the results in Ankara, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv would not compromise until Russian troops left all territories, including Crimea. He also called for increased sanctions against Moscow if the talks did not lead to a ceasefire.