KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his offer for a face-to-face meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, aiming to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This announcement came as delegations from both nations were preparing for a third round of direct talks, set to take place in Istanbul. However, hope for a breakthrough in negotiations remains low, given the stark differences in each side’s demands regarding Russia's full-scale invasion that began on February 24, 2022.
Zelenskyy emphasized in a Telegram post that "Ukraine never wanted this war, and it is Russia that must end the war that it itself started." Despite the calls for higher-level talks, previous attempts at negotiation have seen Putin dismissing Zelenskyy’s offers, leaving lower-level meetings with little political influence to effect real change.
The upcoming talks follow two previous rounds held in Istanbul, which, while successful in facilitating exchanges of prisoners of war, did not yield any substantial agreements. Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine aims to negotiate the release of more prisoners currently held by Russia and address the matter of Ukrainian children who have allegedly been abducted during the conflict.
Heading the Ukrainian delegation will be Rustem Umerov, the former Minister of Defense, who now serves as the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. The delegation will also include members from Ukrainian intelligence, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and the president's office.
As diplomatic efforts are underway, the war continues to rage on. Russian forces launched extensive attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities during the night, resulting in the death of a child and injuries to at least 24 others. Areas affected included Sumy in the northeast, Odesa in the south, and the eastern city of Kramatorsk. In Kramatorsk, a glide bomb struck an apartment building, causing a fire and resulting in civilian casualties, including a boy born in 2015.
The Sumy region faced multiple drone strikes, one of which hit a gas station injuring several, including a 5-year-old boy. The city of Sumy experienced powerful glide bomb attacks that harmed numerous civilians and damaged residential buildings and infrastructure.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Russia's Defense Ministry stated that it successfully intercepted 35 Ukrainian long-range drones overnight, with three intercepted over the Moscow region. Despite these defensive measures, the bombing campaigns against Ukrainian cities illustrate the ongoing intensity and brutality of the conflict.
As the situation unfolds, the distinct disparity in demands between the two nations underscores the challenging path ahead for achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The international community will be closely monitoring the outcome of this round of talks in hopes of seeing advancements towards peace in Ukraine.
