There will be no direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky this Thursday, but there should still be some kind of negotiations between Kiev and Moscow. Before the meeting in Istanbul, we remind you of the previous attempts to reach peace in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin does not travel to Istanbul to negotiate an end to the war against Ukraine, it was announced from the Kremlin. Instead, the Russian delegation will be led by his adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, who was once the Minister of Culture and is considered a political "easy player".
Medinski was already involved in negotiations to end the war in 2022, also in Turkey, which then ended without results. And they weren't the only ones. After Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, Ukraine, its European allies and the United States have been launching initiatives to resolve the crisis for more than a decade - so far without success, writes DW.
What is the latest proposal for a truce?
Now Putin has proposed a new round of ceasefire talks this Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul. His announcement came at the same time as a new drone attack on Kiev, which Russia carried out after the unilaterally declared three-day "truce".
European leaders have rejected the idea of direct talks unless an unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is agreed upon first. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed this position, but in the meantime he declared that he is ready for a meeting with Putin in Istanbul without this precondition.
The latest developments are the result of months of negotiations between the US and Ukraine and, separately, between US and Russian diplomats. Before he was elected US president, Donald Trump promised to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on his first day in office. Although this did not happen, his administration repeatedly tried to mediate an agreement to end the war - without the equal involvement of European partners. Trump himself declared that he is ready for him to come to Istanbul, if the presidents of Russia and Ukraine are also there - which will not happen now.
History of broken truces
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 22, 2022, a permanent ceasefire has never been reached. However, several short-term agreements were reached. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating those agreements. Even ceasefires declared by only one side have been violated.
As the aggressor in that conflict, Russia violated several agreements that were supposed to guarantee the territorial integrity of Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Budapest Memorandum and Friendship Agreement of 1997.
The Budapest Memorandum is an agreement between Russia and Ukraine concluded on December 5, 1994, signed by both the USA and Great Britain.
The memorandum came into effect after Ukraine agreed to hand over to Russia its nuclear weapons inherited from the USSR. In return, Russia, the US and the UK pledged to "respect the independence, sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine" and "refrain from threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine."
It is not the only agreement that was supposed to protect Ukraine. The 1997 Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership Agreement between Russia and Ukraine commits both sides to "mutual respect and trust and respect for the territorial integrity of the other."
Although the two documents are not armistice agreements, their aim was to prevent conflicts between the two states. With the annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as the invasion and continuous attacks on Ukrainian territory since 2022, Russia has repeatedly violated its obligations from those agreements.
Agreements from Minsk
Two agreements, both signed in Russia's ally Belarus and supported by European powers, were not enough to ensure peace.
The agreements named after the Belarusian capital were concluded on September 5, 2014 ("Minsk I") and on February 12, 2015 ("Minsk II"). Minsk I contained twelve points to de-escalate the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which broke out in February of that year but collapsed within days.
With the signing of Minsk II, Ukraine, Russia, separatist forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) agreed on 13 points, the first of which was an immediate ceasefire. However, just hours after the midnight truce came into effect, both sides accused each other of violating it.
Escalation in 2022 and violation of the truce
Since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, short-term cease-fires have been agreed several times - and broken each time.
March 6, 2022: A short-term humanitarian ceasefire after the start of the Russian invasion collapsed due to reports of shelling of the city of Marijupol.
March 8, 2022: Attempts to establish humanitarian evacuation corridors in Mariupol have led to accusations that Russian forces are preventing civilians from fleeing.
January 7, 2023: Russia declares a unilateral truce on the occasion of Orthodox Christmas. Hours after the ceasefire began, Ukrainian authorities are reporting that Russian shelling has resumed, while Russian state media are reporting drone attacks on their lines.
March 18, 2025: During the talks between the USA and Russia in Saudi Arabia, after the telephone conversation between Trump and Putin, a 30-day truce for "energy and infrastructure" was agreed upon. Zelensky agreed to a partial ceasefire in line with those talks. However, just a few days later, both sides are accusing each other of not respecting the agreement.
March 25, 2025: In negotiations led by the US, Ukraine and Russia agreed not to attack each other in the Black Sea, through which important shipping routes pass.
April 19, 2025: Putin declares "Easter Peace" from 18:00 on April 19 until midnight on April 21, ostensibly for humanitarian reasons. Ukraine expresses doubt, and Zelensky announces the continuation of drone attacks. He later accused Russia of committing thousands of ceasefire violations during the planned ceasefire.
May 10, 2025: Russia declares a unilateral armistice on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. However, Ukraine again accuses Russia of violating its own ceasefire — 734 times.
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