After months of stalling, Russia blames Ukraine, US for slow pace of peace talks
After months of diplomatic stalling, the Kremlin on June 29 blamed Kyiv and Washington for the lack of progress in peace talks, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the pace of negotiations hinges on Ukraine's position, the effectiveness of U.S. mediation, and battlefield developments.
"A lot depends, naturally, on the position of the Kyiv regime," Peskov told Belarus 1 TV, in comments reported by Reuters, adding: "It depends on how effectively Washington's mediating efforts continue."
Russia has repeatedly refused to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire agreement, has escalated attacks on Ukrainian civilians, and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared earlier this month that "all of Ukraine is ours."
Peskov made the remarks in a televised interview, as the full-scale war enters its fourth summer with no comprehensive ceasefire in sight, and two mostly inconclusive rounds of peace talks.
Russia and Ukraine have held two rounds of face-to-face talks in Istanbul this year, first on May 16 and again on June 2, following more than three years without direct negotiations. The meetings resulted in significant prisoner exchanges, but no significant steps toward a ceasefire.
During the June 2 meeting, both sides presented proposals for ending the war, but Putin later described them as "absolutely opposite" memorandums.
Ukraine's delegation, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, demanded an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, a position supported by Western partners, while Russia insisted on a 2–3-day limited truce to recover the bodies of fallen soldiers.
"Russia rejects even the very idea of stopping the killings," Umerov said after the talks. "That's why we appeal to the world: pressure is needed for real peace, not for an imitation of negotiations."
Despite the deadlock, Russia said it is open to a third round of negotiations. "In general, we are ready for this," Putin told reporters on June 27, suggesting Istanbul could again serve as the venue.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Ankara's willingness to host, and said efforts are underway to arrange a direct meeting between Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky — possibly with U.S. President Donald Trump joining the talks.
Zelensky has expressed support for a trilateral format and discussed the idea during the recent NATO summit in Brussels, where he and Trump also spoke about enhanced U.S. military assistance and co-production of air defense systems and drones.
So far, Trump has not imposed the additional sanctions on Russia he promised if peace efforts failed. "If the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently needed," Zelensky said on June 2.
While the Kremlin continues to reject a broad ceasefire, its forces are advancing in Ukraine's southeast, gaining territory in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, and intensifying missile and drone strikes on civilians.
No date has been set for the next round of talks.
