On May 16, 2025, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul had demonstrated a lack of goodwill on the part of Moscow, predicting “very difficult days” for Europe and the United States. Speaking to reporters after a phone call with US President Donald Trump and a meeting with the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and the UK in Tirana, Tusk stressed that Russia had put forward unacceptable conditions, rejecting the participation of the American side in the talks.

"The Russian position can hardly be called constructive. Difficult days await us," — RMF24 quotes him.

The Istanbul talks, the first direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022, ended on May 16 with an agreement on a prisoner exchange on a "1000 for 1000" basis, which would be the largest exchange in the conflict. However, as The Economist's Oliver Carroll reported, Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions and hinted at the occupation of the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, which was perceived as a threat. The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, according to the BBC, declared his readiness for a "long struggle", comparing the conflict to the 21-year Northern War. Tusk noted that such conditions are unacceptable not only for Kyiv, but also for all Western allies.

Tusk stressed that the West's main task remains maintaining the unity of Europe and the United States. In Tirana, he, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, held a telephone conversation with Trump, discussing the results of the Istanbul meeting. Zelensky insisted on maintaining pressure on Russia, including sanctions, if Moscow refuses a complete ceasefire. Trump, in turn, expressed disappointment with Russia's position, but, as Bloomberg reports, has not yet abandoned the idea of ​​a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin.