Bangladesh, May 16 -- In a long-anticipated diplomatic development, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in over three years on May 16 at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Türkiye. The high-level meeting marked the most substantial attempt at dialogue between the warring neighbors since the collapse of earlier negotiations in April 2022. Although no final agreement was reached, both sides reported preliminary progress, including plans for a large-scale prisoner exchange and potential outlines for a future ceasefire.

The nearly two-hour meeting, held under the auspices of Türkiye and supported by the United States, was described as “constructive” by both delegations. Russias chief negotiator, Vladi...