Russia tells Ukraine: We could fight another 21 years

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16-05-2025

Russia told Ukraine it could fight for at least another 21 years during peace talks that ended in acrimony in Istanbul.
Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide who led the Russian delegation, said Moscow wanted peace but would fight 'however long it takes'.
'We don't want war, but we're ready to fight for a year, two, three, however long it takes. We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?' he told the Ukrainian delegation.
The Great Northern War, fought between Russia and Sweden, lasted for 21 years, from 1700 to 1721 during the rule of Peter the Great. Putin has previously compared himself to the former Russian emperor.
The talks, mediated by Turkey, last more than 90 minutes. The most significant outcome was an agreement on the largest prisoner of war swap of the conflict so far, with 1,000 captive troops being exchanged.
However, Ukraine criticised Russia for demanding that Kyiv's forces withdraw from four regions roughly where the front line runs. When the Ukrainian delegation protested the demands to give up four regions, Russian negotiators reportedly replied: 'Next time it will be five.'
Thanks for following our live coverage of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. Here's a reminder of what happened today:
Talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkey lasted 90 minutes
There were some signs of progress, including an agreement on the largest prisoner of war swap so far, but the talks did not end in a ceasefire
Both sides indicated some happiness with the talks but Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukraine's allies to pile the pressure on Putin by imposing further sanctions
Sir Keir Starmer joined Mr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, and Donald Tusk on a phone call with Donald Trump shortly after the Istanbul talks ended
We'll be back soon with more updates and analysis.
A Ukrainian official has told the Telegraph that Russia sent a 'sham delegation' to peace negotiations in Istanbul, reports Jimmy Rushton.
'I think Russian delegation was a sham with no real intention to negotiate but to repeat its demands and explore whether Ukraine is ready to do more concessions,' the official told the Telegraph.
'It's good that we have nice statements from Europeans but without strong and painful steps we will not make Russia agree on real talks.'
Pope Leo XIV has offered the Vatican as the venue to host future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the Vatican's secretary of state has said.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the outcome of Turkey peace talks were 'tragic'.
'It's all tragic because we hoped that a process would begin, perhaps slowly, but with a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Instead, we are back to square one,' he said.
Russia and Ukraine ended peace talks in Istanbul largely unmoved from their previous stances.
But there were some agreements made during the talks, which lasted just over 90 minutes:
A large-scale prisoner swap will happen in the coming days as a confidence-building measure. 1000 prisoners will be released by each side, the largest such swap of the war
Both sides will present their vision of a 'possible future ceasefire' before potential future negotiations
The Russian delegation 'noted' that Volodymyr Zelensky wanted a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin, stopping short of outright rejecting it, despite the Russian leader's no-show in Turkey
Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian delegation who lead negotiations in Istanbul, confirmed the points in a live press conference this afternoon.
'We want to reiterate that Ukraine wants peace,' Mr Umerov said.
Another official described it as a 'tentative success' but said more progress could only be achieved if Putin and Zelensky meet.
Russia and Ukraine's delegations agreed to meet again 'in principle', Ankara has said.
Hakan Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister who chaired the meeting in Istanbul today, said the POW exchange agreement was indicated as a confidence-building measure.
Emmanuel Macron has said it is 'unacceptable' that Russia ignored a European and US call for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
It is 'unacceptable that Russia and President Putin have not responded for a second time to the demands made by the Americans, supported by Ukraine and the Europeans,' Mr Macron said alongside France's European allies, including Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia is 'satisfied' with the results of the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in years, Moscow's top negotiator has said.
'Overall, we are satisfied with the results and ready to continue contacts,' Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky told state TV, adding that once each side had exchanged ideas on a possible ceasefire, negotiations could continue.
News has slowly reached Tirana from Ukraine's Istanbul peace talks with Russia, prompting an impromptu press statement from Britain, France, Poland and Germany.
Sir Keir Starmer said his fellow leaders, alongside Volodymyr Zelensky, had been on the telephone with Donald Trump to begin aligning their position on what the British Prime Minister said was a 'clearly unacceptable' Russian position in Turkey.
The Telegraph has reported that Russia asked Ukraine to withdraw troops from four of its own regions, which Vladimir Putin claims are Russian, as the price for a ceasefire.
It shouldn't be a surprise that Moscow is making these sorts of demands, especially after they sent virtually the same team that was used to try and force Kyiv's capitulation in the early days of the full-scale invasion.
The elephant in the room remained as the questions over how Mr Trump would respond - in favour of Moscow or Kyiv.
The European leaders would have you believe he's on their side, but refused to answer questions over whether the threatened package of massive sanctions would finally be unleashed.
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to swap 1000 prisoners of war each, Kyiv's defence minister has said.
'We will know the date soon, but we won't talk about it yet,' Rustem Umerov said.
It would represent the largest prisoner swap of the war so far.
Some 500 POWs were exchanged by the two sides in April.
At the time, Russia said that 246 soldiers were returned from Ukraine, and 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs were transferred in exchange for 15 wounded Russian soldiers in need of urgent medical care.
Kyiv said that 277 Ukrainian 'warriors' had returned home from Russian captivity.
Ukraine requested a direct meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, the official leading Kyiv's delegation said.
Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian defence minister, also said new negotiations could be announced 'soon'.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, and Donald Tusk have held a call with Donald Trump, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian president has said.
The UK Prime Minister told reporters in Tirana that the leaders discussed recent peace talks with their US counterpart.
'We just had a meeting with President Zelensky and then a phone call with President Trump to discuss the developments in the negotiations today,' the British prime minister said.
'And the Russian position is clearly unacceptable, and not for the first time.
'So as a result of that meeting with President Zelensky and that call with President Trump, we are now closely aligning our responses and will continue to do so.'
Talks between Russia and Ukraine ended after Kyiv refused to cede control of the four regions annexed by Vladimir Putin in 2022, as well as Crimea.
Russia does not control any of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in full.
In 2022, when peace talks in Istanbul failed, Russia demanded that Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk, showing how Putin's aims have expanded.
Russian state TV has contradicted reports that talks with Ukraine are over.
'The negotiations are not over. The parties have taken a break,' Russian state news agency Ria Novosti said.
Ukrainian sources said earlier that the talks had ended but that more could still happen.
A Ukrainian official said that more talks with Russia could happen despite not being planned.
'If they receive other instructions from Moscow, then it is possible that something will happen today,' the source said after negotiations ended, adding 'so far it is not planned'.
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of being 'too afraid' to attend peace talks in Turkey.
Speaking alongside Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron in Tirana, Mr Zelensky said: 'This week, we had a real chance to move toward ending the war — if only Putin hadn't been afraid to come to Türkiye.
'I was there ready for a direct meeting with him to resolve all key issues. He didn't agree to anything.'
Talks between Russia and Ukraine have ended, a Turkish foreign ministry source has said.
They lasted less than two hours.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from its territory during peace talks described by Kyiv as 'detached from reality'.
'Russian demands are detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed. They include ultimatums for Ukraine to withdraw from its territory for a ceasefire and other non-starters and non-constructive conditions,' a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Sir Keir Starmer has said Vladimir Putin must 'pay the price' for not taking peace negotiations with Ukraine seriously.
Speaking with European leaders at a summit in Tirana, Albania, the Prime Minister said: 'Now, having issued [an] ultimatum, we must be prepared to follow through, because if Russia won't come to negotiating table, Putin must pay the price.
'I think yesterday has already been mentioned, was further evidence that Putin is not serious about peace. Russia is dragging its feet and playing games whilst Ukraine has shown itself to be the party of peace.'
'Ukraine has showed itself to be the party of peace,' he added.
The Kremlin said that a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was essential but that preparation was needed first.
Wrapping up his Gulf tour earlier on Friday, Mr Trump said he would meet Putin 'as soon as we can set it up', a day after saying that 'nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together'.
'There is no doubt that contacts between President Putin and Trump are important in the context of the Ukrainian negotiations. We, of course, agree with this thesis. The importance of this cannot be overstated,' Putin's spokesman said today.
Peskov said Moscow wanted a Putin-Trump summit, but that such a meeting needed considerable advance preparation to ensure it was a success.
'A summit must be set up. And it must be results-oriented because a summit is always preceded by expert negotiations, consultations, and long and intense preparations, especially if we are talking about a summit between the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States of America,' he added.
Half of the Ukrainian delegation are wearing camouflage military fatigues, sitting at a table directly facing their Russian counterparts, who are in suits.
The Ukrainian delegation addressed their Russian counterpart using an interpreter in the first direct peace talks in over three years.
The Ukrainian officials, led by defence minister Rustem Umerov, likely speak Russian but opted to stick their native language in the talks.
While both languages hold similarities, there are a number of stark differences.
Use of Ukrainian shot up in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion as Moscow tried to wipe its neighbour's independence off of the map.
Using their own language is a show of defiance by the Ukrainians to prove they won't curtail to the Russians.
Vladimir Putin made a 'big mistake' sending a lower-ranking team of negotiators to Istanbul today, Nato's secretary general has warned.
'He knows extremely well that the ball is in his court, that he is in trouble, that he made a big mistake by sending this low-level delegation,' Mark Rutte told reporters ahead of the Ukraine-Russia meeting at the Dolmabahce Palace.
'I think all the pressure is now on Putin,' he added. 'He has to be serious about wanting peace.'
Ursula von der Leyen has vowed to 'increase the pressure' until Vladimir Putin is ready for peace, saying work had begun on an 18th package of sanctions.
'We want peace and we have to increase the pressure until President Putin is ready for peace,' Ms von der Leyen told reporters at a gathering of European leaders in Tirana.
Earlier this week, the EU agreed its 17th package of sanctions since the start of Putin's invasion, clamping down on its 'shadow' oil fleet by blacklisting some 200 oil tankers used to circumvent curbs on Moscow's oil exports.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said today it was essential to secure a ceasefire 'as soon as possible'.
'While the war continues to take lives, it is of critical importance that the ceasefire be implemented as soon as possible,' he said at the opening of the talks at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace.
'It is also very important that these talks form the basis of a leaders' meeting. We wholeheartedly believe it is possible to reach peace through constructive negotiations,' he added.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations have begun negotiating, Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson said today.
A photograph released by the foreign ministry showed the Russian and Ukrainian delegations sat opposite each other at a U-shaped table, with Turkish representatives at the head of the table.
Jonathan Powell, the UK national security adviser, is in Istanbul for talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, alongside Ukraine's Minister of Defence, Rustem Umerov.
He is joined by several key figures: Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs; and General Keith Kellogg, serving as Donald Trump's Special Representative.
Also present are Gunter Sautter, the German Chancellor's Foreign and Security Policy Adviser, and Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Adviser to the French President.
Donald Trump would like to meet Vladimir Putin 'as soon as we can set it up', the US president said.
'As soon as we can set it up I would actually leave here and go,' Mr Trump said in Abu Dhabi in response to a question about meeting the Russian leader.
Referring to peace talks set to take place in Istanbul today, Mr Trump added: 'Let's see what happens with Russia and Ukraine.'
Credit: Reuters
Russian officials have arrived at the office of Turkish President Dolmabahce in Istanbul, according to reports.
The talks are expected to begin after a welcoming speech by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Mark Rutte, the secretary general of Nato, criticised Putin for making a 'big mistake' by sending a lower-level delegation to Istanbul today.
Expectations for the negotiations - originally proposed by Putin - dropped significantly after he rejected Zelensky's invitation to meet face-to-face in Turkey.
'He knows extremely well that the ball is in his court, that he is in trouble, that he made a big mistake by sending this low-level delegation,' Mr Rutte told reporters.
'I think all the pressure is now on Putin,' he added.
'The ball is clearly in his part of the field now, in his court... He has to play ball. He has to be serious about wanting peace.'
Ukraine will prioritise securing a ceasefire during talks with a Russian delegation in Istanbul today, according to a Ukrainian diplomatic source.
The source added that Ukrainian negotiators plan to propose the possibility of a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
'We understand that for any diplomacy to be resultative, there needs to be a ceasefire. Real, durable and well-monitored,' the source said.
'There also needs to be humanitarian confidence-building measures, such as the return of Ukrainian children, detained civilians, (and the) exchange of prisoners of war on the all-for-all basis.'
Marco Rubio met with members of the Ukrainian delegation at the Presidential Office earlier today ahead of the renewed peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Kyiv has cast doubt on whether the Russian negotiators in Istanbul have the authority to make meaningful decisions.
'Putin sent to Istanbul those who have no fundamental decision-making power,' a senior Ukrainian source said.
They added that 'if the Russian delegation does have any authority, they can only prove it by agreeing to real steps, in particular a ceasefire'.
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said today that Russia was 'clearly' not working for peace with Ukraine, as the two sides prepared to hold their first direct talks since 2022.
'We clearly see that Russia does not want peace and everybody else does,' Kallas told reporters at a meeting of European leaders in Tirana. 'The political isolation is important to put the pressure on Russia, and there we all have to be united.'
Credit: Reuters
Ukraine's delegation at the talks today is comprised of a mix of high-profile officials. It includes:
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's defence minister since September 2023, who has played a key role in Kyiv's efforts to rally international support for the return of Crimea.
Andriy Yermak, Ukraine's presidential chief of staff, who is widely seen as the second most influential figure in the country after President Zelensky. He is responsible for overseeing foreign policy, coordinating intelligence efforts, and leading high-level diplomacy, including peace negotiations and prisoner exchanges.
Vasyl Malyuk, who has served as Ukraine's top intelligence official since February 2023, leading the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Andriy Sybiha, who was appointed Ukraine's foreign minister in September 2024, following a long career in diplomacy and presidential strategy. He is regarded as a trusted Zelensky loyalist, having previously served as deputy head of the president's office.
Andriy Hnatov, who was appointed Chief of the General Staff in March 2025, following a promotion linked to President Zelensky's ongoing military reform efforts.
Several vehicles have arrived at the venue of talks in Istanbul involving delegations from Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Turkey.
Amongst them were an armoured vehicle, an ambulance, two white minibuses and several black cars arriving at the venue on the grounds of Dolmabahce Palace on Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait.
The delegations, which will not include Putin, consist of a low-profile group of Russian representatives. They include:
Vladimir Medinsky, an ultra-conservative former culture minister and current aide to President Putin.
Igor Kostyukov, head of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency known for orchestrating some of Moscow's most high-profile covert operations in recent years.
Colonel General Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, a veteran Russian military officer and diplomat. He, like Medinsky, was a member of the Russian delegation during the 2022 peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
Mikhail Galuzin, who was long seen as a moderate voice within Russian foreign policy circles. However, since his return to Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine and his appointment as deputy foreign minister in late 2022, he now oversees relations with post-Soviet states, including Ukraine.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has arrived in Istanbul ahead of the upcoming Russia-Ukraine talks.
Earlier, Mr Rubio stressed his low expectations for any significant breakthroughs after Vladimir Putin declined to attend.
During his visit, Mr Rubio is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian representatives, while his aide, Michael Anton, will engage with members of the lower-level Russian delegation.
Vladimir Putin has dismissed General Oleg Salyukov as Commander-in-Chief of Russia's Ground Forces, a role he held since 2014.
Salyukov, who was nearing mandatory retirement, has been reassigned as deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council.
A prominent figure in the military, he had overseen Moscow's Victory Day parades for over a decade and, since 2023, served as deputy to Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, overseeing operations in Ukraine.
The Security Council, chaired by Putin and led by former defence minister Sergei Shoigu, is an advisory body with no direct military control.
No successor has been named yet. The reshuffle comes amid ongoing challenges in Ukraine and efforts to modernise and restructure Russia's armed forces.
Russia launched a significant drone assault overnight, deploying over 100 Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting various regions.
Ukrainian air defence systems successfully intercepted the majority of the drones.
The attacks resulted in at least four deaths and approximately 30 injuries across the affected regions.
In Kyiv, falling drone debris led to fires in the Sviatoshynskyi district, although no fatalities were reported.
Ukrainian authorities are assessing the full extent of the damage and casualties.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to attend a European Political Community (EPC) meeting today.
The EPC, which brings together the members of the European Union and 20 other countries, was established in 2022 on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Starmer and Mr Macron will be joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Nato chief Mark Rutte and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.
The agenda is expected to focus on European security, energy cooperation, and shared responses to ongoing challenges posed by Russian aggression and global instability.
Keir Starmer has said Vladimir Putin 'must pay the price for avoiding peace' ahead of a European Political Community (EPC) meeting in Albania on Friday.
'Putin's tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, (are) intolerable,' he said in a statement ahead of the summit.
According to Downing Street, participants in the EPC meeting will be 'piling the pressure on the Kremlin... after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday'.
'A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price,' Sir Keir said.
The Ukraine-Russia peace talks will take place in 'different formats', a foreign ministry source said on Thursday evening.
Turkish officials indicated that 'trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey are on the agenda' in Istanbul, and possibly a round of US, Ukrainian and Turkish talks.
'It has not been finalised whether there will be a quadrilateral format,' the source added.
While the talks are the first direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials in three years, a peace breakthrough is unlikely.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said Washington 'didn't have high expectations' for the talks.
The meeting between Ukrainian and Russian officials is poised to begin around 10am local time in Istanbul today (7am GMT), according to the head of Russia's delegation.
'We are ready to work,' Russian presidential adviser Dmitry Medinsky said in a video on Telegram.
Mr Medinsky added his delegation held 'productive' talks on Thursday evening with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Peace talks are set to take place between Russian and Ukrainian officials today.
We will be bringing you the latest on the meeting in Istanbul, where trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey are on the agenda.
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