From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / May 17, 2025
Russia’s delegation demands Ukraine abandon four oblasts while rejecting unconditional ceasefire, as military commanders reshuffle and 909 fallen soldiers return home
Summary of the Day – May 16, 2025
Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for nearly two hours in Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, ending the first direct negotiations in three years with familiar deadlock and renewed Russian maximalism. Putin’s no-show, sending propaganda architect Vladimir Medinsky instead, signaled Moscow views these talks as theater rather than genuine peace efforts. Russia demanded Ukraine abandon four partially occupied oblasts entirely while rejecting an unconditional ceasefire. Yet one breakthrough emerged: an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side—potentially the largest such swap of the conflict. Meanwhile, Putin reshuffled his military command, promoting generals who specialized in grinding siege warfare, as Ukraine repatriated 909 fallen soldiers and economic data revealed Russia’s war economy slowing significantly.
The Delegation That Wasn’t: Putin’s No-Show Speaks Volumes
The most telling moment of the Istanbul talks occurred before they even began. President Volodymyr Zelensky had personally flown to Turkey on May 15, accepting Putin’s own proposal for face-to-face negotiations. The Ukrainian leader even invited Putin to meet him directly in Istanbul, offering what would have been the first encounter between the two presidents since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Voice of Ukraine 