A new round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine in Türkiye

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said a delegation from Kyiv arrived in Istanbul on Monday for talks with Russian officials, adding that talks between the two sides were scheduled for this afternoon on possible ways to end the war.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said ahead of the talks that the start was scheduled for 12 p.m. (10:00 GMT) at the city's Ciragan Palace.

Moscow proposed this round of talks. In mid-May, the two warring parties met in direct talks for the first time since 2022, resulting in a prisoner exchange.

Ukraine's position for this round of talks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, includes a complete and unconditional ceasefire, the release of prisoners, and the return of abducted children.

Zelensky said that to establish lasting peace, a meeting at the highest level must also be arranged.

Moscow has rejected an unconditional ceasefire, but has recently expressed its willingness to do so, subject to a number of preconditions.

"During the ceasefire period, it is essential, at a minimum, that Western countries stop supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime, and that Ukraine end its mobilization," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday.