Kyiv; Russian and Ukrainian delegations are meeting in Istanbul for renewed peace talks on Monday, marking their first direct engagement since the war's early days.

This follows Ukraine’s major drone strike on Russian airbases, reportedly damaging 40 strategic bombers worth $7 billion.

Despite urging by US President Donald Trump, both sides remain deeply divided. Russia plans to present a "memorandum" of peace terms but continues to demand Ukraine remain neutral and cede occupied territories. Ukraine, meanwhile, has called for an unconditional ceasefire, prisoner release, and the return of abducted children, while rejecting territorial concessions and pushing for Western-backed security guarantees.

The talks are taking place at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, with mediators from Germany, France, and the UK present. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists that core issues can only be resolved in a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin — a proposal the Kremlin continues to resist.

Russia’s lead negotiator is Vladimir Medinsky, known for his hardline stance, while Ukraine is represented by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. The backdrop to the talks is a worsening battlefield situation, including missile strikes in Kharkiv that left at least six civilians injured.

While diplomacy resumes, the chances of an immediate breakthrough remain slim amid continued violence and fundamentally opposing demands.
(With AFP inputs)