New round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia could take place in Istanbul this week, tentatively scheduled for 23-24 July, Independent Türkçe reported on 21 July.
Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul in 2025 for the first time since 2022. The talks focused primarily on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian issues. While these talks resulted in significant exchanges of prisoners, no progress was made toward a ceasefire or broader peace, as Russia rejected unconditional cessation of hostilities and maintained its territorial demands.
Independent Türkçe reported, citing diplomatic sources, that “international diplomatic meetings will take place in Istanbul this week.”
“In addition to negotiations with European countries regarding Iran’s nuclear program, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are also expected in Istanbul this week,” the report said.
The parties have not disclosed precise information about the venue, time and level of delegations. However, the meeting reportedly will likely take place on 23-24 July.
The sides are expected to focus on humanitarian aid, prisoner exchanges, critical infrastructure security and the situation in border areas. Work is currently underway to determine the meeting location, develop security protocols and logistical preparation. The negotiations will be held behind closed doors, with the public informed through written statements, according to the report.
The potential talks follow recent developments in Ukraine’s leadership structure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council on Friday.
Speaking about Umerov’s tasks in this position, Zelenskyy said it was necessary to “intensify the negotiation track” with Russia. “The implementation of agreements from the second meeting in Istanbul is currently underway. More dynamics are needed in this process,” he said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia supports adding “more dynamics” to the negotiation process with Ukraine.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on 18 July, during which they discussed the possibility of holding a new round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul.
On 19 July, Zelenskyy announced that NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov had proposed a meeting with the Russian side for the following week, emphasizing that Ukraine was ready for a leader-level meeting.
Previous meetings between Russian and Ukrainian delegations took place on 16 May and 2 June in Istanbul. Istanbul has previously hosted critical diplomatic processes including Iran nuclear negotiations, Russia-Ukraine peace contacts and international meetings on Syria.