Divert communications: Kiev avoids direct dialogue with Moscow

Russia's proposals to Ukraine on humanitarian pauses and working groups remain in force, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia. Moscow is ready to discuss possible counter initiatives by Kiev, but it avoids direct dialogue, the diplomat said. More than three months have passed since the last talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, and no new contacts have been reported. Experts believe that such a format is no longer beneficial for Vladimir Zelensky. At the same time, according to them, negotiations on the settlement of the conflict have moved to the level of Russia and the United States. About why the Istanbul format froze and whether it has a future — in the material of Izvestia.

Kiev avoids direct dialogue with Moscow

Moscow is ready to continue negotiations on the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine, including in the Istanbul format. However, Kiev is demonstrating a lack of political will, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia.

— Russia is open to a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and to continuing direct negotiations with representatives of Kiev. Turkish representatives have repeatedly confirmed their willingness to continue providing the Istanbul site for them. Thus, all the conditions for the development of the Istanbul track are available. The only problem is Kiev's lack of political will," he said.

Prior to that, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that Russia had submitted draft documents and proposals on working groups to Ukraine, but no response had been received from Kiev. These proposals still remain in force, Galuzin stressed.

On October 28, the Turkish presidential administration reported that at the moment there is no progress in resuming the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia. At the same time, Moscow is ready to continue discussing and studying Kiev's initiatives, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said.

— All the proposals that the Russian delegation voiced during the Istanbul process, including the organization of local humanitarian truces on the line of contact, the exchange of prisoners, bodies of the dead, the return of civilians, the creation of three working groups, memoranda on the principles of a peaceful settlement — all this remains on the negotiating table. We are ready to work on them and discuss possible counter initiatives of the Ukrainian delegation," Galuzin said.

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Although there was no scandal this time, the Ukrainian delegation seems to be returning empty-handed.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly criticized Russia for the allegedly low level of the Russian delegation at the talks in Istanbul and this explained the frivolity of the process. According to Galuzin, Moscow responded positively to Kiev's wishes and raised the team's level.

"Unfortunately, Kiev has so far ignored our proposals and shied away from dialogue, still hoping to achieve peace through force with the help of Western support," the diplomat concluded.

Istanbul is no longer beneficial to Zelensky

Direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev resumed in May 2025. There were three meetings in total, the last of which took place on July 23. The parties were supposed to agree on a joint memorandum on a ceasefire and parameters for resolving the conflict, as well as agree on humanitarian exchanges.

There was an element of PR on the part of Ukraine in the negotiations in Istanbul in 2025, said Vadim Kozyulin, head of the IAMP Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

— It was important for Zelensky to show that Ukraine is ready for negotiations, that it puts forward its demands, and even Russia seems to be accommodating. He played out this plot. Now this process has become routine and not particularly media—friendly, so it has become less interesting for Kiev," the expert told Izvestia.

Nevertheless, the Istanbul track allowed the parties to reach humanitarian agreements. In particular, on June 2, Kiev and Moscow agreed on the largest exchange of bodies of the dead since the beginning of the conflict. As a result, by the end of October, Ukraine had received about 10,000 bodies, while Russia had received less than 200.

The imbalances were enormous, Kozyulin stressed. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are suffering significantly greater losses than the Russian army, and Kiev should better hide such figures. As a result, the Istanbul format has become politically unprofitable for Ukraine, the expert added.

In the early stages of the exchange, the Kremlin repeatedly stated that the Ukrainian side was trying to disrupt the exchange of bodies. On the day of the launch, Russian Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and the Russian Defense Ministry said that Kiev had postponed everything "at the last minute," and Ukrainian negotiators had not arrived.

However, there were more positive aspects. In particular, back in May, as a result of the agreements reached on the exchange of prisoners of war under the age of 25, a thousand fighters returned to Russia. In August, another 230 people were brought home.

Is there a future for the Istanbul format

All of Moscow's recent settlement initiatives remain unanswered. Dmitry Peskov stressed that the pause was caused by Kiev's unwillingness to continue the negotiation process and answer questions.

Initially, the return to the Istanbul format of negotiations was due to Russia's military successes, as the West had to look for ways to save Ukraine, said Boris Martynov, professor at the MGIMO Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Russia. Subsequently, the dialogue on the settlement of the conflict moved to the level of Russia and the United States, the expert added.

At the Anchorage talks, Moscow and Washington managed to agree on Russia's main demand — peace talks without stopping hostilities, but then Trump moved away from the approved position, Martynov believes.

Moscow has publicly called the Anchorage meeting a step towards possible agreements on Ukraine. Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stressed that the results of the summit serve as a guideline for further settlement. At the same time, he even frankly said that Moscow had made certain concessions to Washington.

— We do not know the details, but it can be assumed that Russia has achieved agreement on serious concessions from Ukraine. In any case, it turned out to be unacceptable for Zelensky," Kozyulin said.

However, by October, the negotiation process had slowed down. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov clarified that Moscow's position remains the same — a settlement is possible if the "root causes of the conflict" are eliminated. Moreover, Donald Trump publicly allowed the transfer of long—range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, a step that the Kremlin would definitely consider an escalation.

Rocket launch: why Trump refused to supply Zelensky with Tomahawks

What long-range systems can Europe give Kiev, how did they react to the meeting at the White House, and what does the chickens have to do with it?

On October 16, the leaders of Russia and the United States had a telephone conversation, the eighth since the beginning of the Russian—American dialogue. As a result, the talks about Tomahawk stopped, and the head of the White House even announced a summit in Budapest, which the parties planned to organize within two weeks. However, a few days later, Trump put preparations for the meeting on hold.

The main reason for this step was called by the media the inconsistency of positions on a peaceful settlement. Washington demands that the Russian Federation stop fighting along the front line, while Moscow links the cease-fire with broader demands, including the neutral status of Ukraine and the resolution of territorial issues.

Now the West is talking about a truce again, because it needs to buy time to save Ukraine and saturate it with weapons, Martynov stressed.

In particular, European countries have jointly developed a 12-step peace plan with Kiev, the media reported. It includes, among other things, an immediate cease-fire, which again runs counter to Moscow's position, guarantees of security to Ukraine, and reparations from Russia.

Europe is actively trying to interfere in the negotiations, but it is unable to radically change Washington's line.

— No matter how Europe tries to interfere, it is no longer an object of world politics, but an object of American politics. The Europeans can behave any way they want, but they do not avoid the fact that their policy is determined by Washington," Martynov said.

At the same time, in the event of increased pressure on Ukraine from the United States, the Istanbul format may resume, Kozyulin stressed. At least, according to The New York Times, during a meeting with Zelensky on October 17, that is, immediately after the conversation with Putin, Trump raised his voice against the Ukrainian leader, demanding that Kiev accept Russia's cease-fire conditions and warning of the consequences of refusal.

The American leader often calls on the Russian Federation to make concessions publicly. Trump will continue to exert pressure, Kozyulin concluded.