**Russia and Ukraine Hold First Peace Talks in Over Seven Weeks**
The situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly complex. On Wednesday, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Istanbul for their first peace talks in more than seven weeks. This comes as the US has put pressure on Moscow to strike a deal or face tough new sanctions.
**Expectations Dampened by Kremlin**
The Kremlin is playing down expectations of any breakthrough at the meeting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that no one expects an easy road, and that the projects of the two sides are “diametrically opposed.” This suggests that significant disagreements remain between Russia and Ukraine on key issues.
**Ukrainian President Seeks Meeting with Putin**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that the meeting should focus in part on preparing a summit between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This would be seen as a major step towards peace, but it is unclear whether Russia will agree to such a meeting.
**Previous Talks Yielded Little Progress**
Previous talks on May 16 and June 2 led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers, but made no breakthrough towards ending the war that started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Those meetings lasted less than three hours in total.
**US Pressure on Russia**
US President Donald Trump has threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. However, investors seem skeptical about whether he will follow through.
**Russia Continues to Push for Territorial Gains**
Russian forces have launched some of their heaviest air attacks in recent weeks, focusing especially on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has hit back with attacks of its own, and last month inflicted serious damage on Russia’s nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet.
**Key Demands Remain Unresolved**
The key demands made by Russia include full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions claimed as Russian territory, limits on Ukraine’s military strength, enhanced rights for Russian-speakers in Ukraine, and acceptance of neutral status. Ukraine sees these terms as tantamount to surrender and is pushing for an immediate ceasefire, reparations, international security guarantees, and no restrictions on its military strength.
**Next Steps Uncertain**
The outcome of this week’s talks remains uncertain. The fact that Russia has handed Ukraine a memorandum setting out its key demands suggests that they are not willing to compromise significantly. If there is no breakthrough, it will be clear that significant work needs to be done by both sides if peace is to be achieved.
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