Ukraine and Russia meet in Turkey for peace talks with few hopes for a breakthrough

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine convened in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks. The meeting, held in Istanbul, was attended by the Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The talks, presided over by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, aimed to address the ongoing conflict that has plagued the region for the past three years. However, expectations for significant progress were low as recent comments from senior officials in both countries indicated a wide gap in their positions on key conditions for ending the war.

Fierce fighting continued along the 1,000-kilometer front line, with both sides launching deep strikes into each other’s territory. Over the weekend, a Ukrainian drone attack reportedly destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep inside Russia, while Moscow retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian soil.

Russian air defenses claimed to have downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions and Crimea, while Ukrainian air defenses stated that they had damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia. The escalation in military actions resulted in two ballistic missiles striking a residential neighborhood in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, causing damage near a school but fortunately, no casualties were reported.

The gravity of the situation was underscored by Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, who highlighted the potential devastation that could have occurred if the missiles had hit closer to populated areas. The ongoing violence and destruction serve as a grim reminder of the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The international community closely monitored the developments in Turkey, hoping for a breakthrough in the peace talks. As the discussions unfolded, the world held its breath, aware of the stakes involved in finding a lasting solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey, and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

For more updates on the war in Ukraine, follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.