TURKEY URGES CEASEFIRE, US SETS DEADLINE
Turkish Overseas Minister Hakan Fidan, who opened the talks, urged the delegations to maneuver towards a ceasefire.
“Our goal is to finish this bloody battle, which has a really excessive price, as quickly as doable,” he stated. “The last word purpose is a ceasefire that can pave the best way for peace.”
The talks comply with earlier conferences in Istanbul in Could and June, which yielded agreements on prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of troopers’ stays.
The newest negotiations come because the Trump administration intensifies stress on Russia. Final week, Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to finish the battle or face extra sanctions.
Regardless of the ultimatum, the Kremlin signalled no change in stance. “Nobody expects a simple street. It is going to be very troublesome,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
A Ukrainian delegation supply informed AFP earlier than the talks that progress would rely upon whether or not Russia adopted a extra constructive method. “All the pieces will rely upon whether or not Russia stops talking in ultimatums,” the supply stated.
Russia has thus far insisted Ukraine withdraw from 4 japanese and southern areas it claims to have annexed in 2022, a requirement Kyiv rejects as non-negotiable. Ukraine has additionally dominated out any territorial concessions, together with Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.
