Low-level delegations from Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul on May 16. The talks, which lasted two hours, brought no significant breakthrough, although both sides agreed to the largest prisoner exchange of the war. It was carried out last weekend and freed 1,000 captives on each side.

Ukraine’s foreign minister on Friday accused Russia of stalling peace negotiations, saying that Moscow had yet to share a promised memorandum outlining its peace terms. He said Kyiv wanted to see that document before sending a delegation to a new round of talks Moscow has proposed for Monday in Istanbul.

With Russia saying its terms for peace must remain secret until the talks begin, Ukraine won’t confirm whether its delegation will even attend.

The Kremlin expects Russia and Ukraine to discuss the list of conditions for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine next week in Istanbul, its spokesman said on Friday, praising the U.S. role in mediating the talks.

The US is concerned about the possible withdrawal of the Ukrainian delegation from the upcoming talks in Istanbul and has warned Kyiv against taking such a step, states US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg.

As negotiations to end the war in Ukraine stall, the Trump administration is turning to the Middle East to fulfill the president’s vow to be a global peacemaker.

By Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to visit Berlin on Wednesday for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, part of a diplomatic drive to end the war in Ukraine,

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards, according to reports.