‘Everything that needs to be blown up…’: Russia rules out compromise in Ukraine talks

He was referring to a Russian memorandum presented on Monday that demanded Ukraine cede more territory, adopt a stance of neutrality, restrict the size of its military, and hold fresh elections — all non-starters for the Ukrainian side.

Although the latest round of talks yielded agreements on a prisoner-of-war swap and the return of 12,000 bodies of soldiers, no ceasefire deal was reached. Ukraine and its allies have pushed for an immediate cessation of hostilities amid escalating fighting in regions like Kharkiv.

Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, also hinted at retaliation for recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian bomber bases, declaring that “retribution is inevitable.”

Second round of talks

A second round of direct peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine concluded on Monday in Istanbul with no major breakthrough, Ukrainian negotiators said that Russia once again rejected their key demand for an “unconditional ceasefire” – a position strongly backed by Ukraine’s Western allies. However, both sides agreed to return the remains of 12,000 fallen soldiers and to exchange all sick and severely wounded prisoners of war, as well as detainees under the age of 25.

The Russian delegation proposed a brief two- or three-day truce “in certain areas” along the front line but offered no further details. The meeting itself lasted just over an hour, pointing  between the two sides on how to end the war, now in its third year.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv’s delegation, reiterated his country’s position in a press briefing after the talks.

“We insist on a full and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days on land, at sea and in the air to end the killings now,” Umerov said, adding that Ukraine had submitted its truce proposal to Moscow “a few days ago” but only received Russia’s plan at the negotiating table.

Moscow, which has occupied about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory — including Crimea, annexed in 2014 — presented its latest demands during the talks. These included territorial concessions, Ukraine’s neutrality, a cap on the size of its military, and fresh elections.

Despite the lack of diplomatic progress, both parties confirmed plans to continue negotiations, though no timeline was announced. The stalled discussions come amid renewed fighting in eastern Ukraine and growing international concern about the conflict’s prolonged humanitarian and geopolitical impact.