Istanbul. The first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours Friday, and while both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, they clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting.

One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin has pushed back against such a truce, which remains elusive.

“We haven’t received a Russian ‘yes’ on this basic point,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhii said after the talks. “If you want to have serious negotiations, you have to have guns silenced.”

But Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky pronounced himself “satisfied with the outcome,” adding that Moscow was ready to continue contacts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed the talks with US President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the UK, and Poland. In a post on X from a European leadership meeting in Albania, he urged “tough sanctions” against Moscow if it rejects “a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.”

In Istanbul, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such swap.

Both sides also discussed a ceasefire and a meeting between their heads of state, according to chief Ukrainian delegate, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, said both sides agreed to provide each other with detailed ceasefire proposals, with Ukraine requesting the heads of state meeting, which Russia took under consideration.

“The pressure on the Russian Federation must continue," said Serhii Kyslytsia, Ukraine’s first deputy foreign minister and part of Kyiv’s delegation. "We should not really relax at this point.”

New, ‘Unacceptable Conditions’
During the talks, a senior Ukrainian official said Russia introduced new, “unacceptable demands” to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory. The official, who was not authorized to make official statements, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said.

The Ukrainian side reiterated it was focused on achieving real progress -- an immediate ceasefire and a pathway to substantive diplomacy -- “just like the US, European partners, and other countries proposed,” the official added.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Tykhii confirmed the Russian delegation "voiced a number of things that we deem unacceptable,” but added: “This is something that Russians usually voice, and we were keeping to our line.”

The two sides sat opposite each other at a U-shaped table in the Dolmabahce Palace but remained far apart in their conditions for ending the war. Trump, who has pressed for an end to the conflict, said he would meet with Putin “as soon as we can set it up.”

“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi as he wrapped up a trip to the Middle East.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan opened the talks by urging participants “to take advantage of this opportunity,” adding it was “critically important that the ceasefire happens as soon as possible.”

In a social media post, Fidan called the POW swap as a “confidence-building measure” and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again.

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