Russia says no quick breakthrough in 'complex' Ukraine talks

MOSCOW: Russia has said it was wrong to expect a quick breakthrough in Ukraine talks, after Moscow rejected Kyiv's call for an unconditional ceasefire at negotiations in Istanbul.

The sides agreed on a large-scale swap of captured soldiers and exchanged their roadmaps to peace, or so-called "memorandums", at the discussions, which lasted less than two hours.

More than three years into Russia's offensive, which has killed tens of thousands on both sides and forced millions from their homes in eastern Ukraine, the two sides appear as irreconcilable as ever.


"The settlement issue is extremely complex and involves a large number of nuances," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"It would be wrong to expect immediate solutions and breakthroughs," he added.

Moscow demanded Ukraine pull its troops out of four eastern and southern regions that Moscow claims to have annexed as a precondition to pausing its offensive, according to the document handed to the Ukrainians that was published by Russian state media.

Kyiv had pressed for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Russia instead offered a partial truce of two to three days in some areas of the frontline, its top negotiator said after the talks.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on Tuesday denounced Russia for presenting "old ultimatums that do not move the situation any closer to true peace" and for having "so far rejected any meaningful formats for a ceasefire".

Peskov earlier also dismissed the idea of a summit between the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

"In the near future, it is unlikely," Peskov told reporters when asked about the chances of the leaders meeting, adding that such a summit could only happen after Russian and Ukrainian negotiators reach an "agreement".

The White House had said on Monday that US President Donald Trump was "open" to the idea, which is also backed by Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Zelensky on Tuesday accused Russia of "deliberately" targeting civilians in a rocket attack on the city of Sumy, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Russian border, that killed four people.

Russian troops have accelerated their advance, seeking to establish what Putin called a "buffer zone" inside Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region.

Zelensky posted a video from the emergency services showing destroyed cars and the body of one victim lying on the road.

The attack "says everything one needs to know about Russia's so-called 'desire' to end this war", he added, calling for "decisive actions" from the United States and Europe to push Russia into a ceasefire.

"Every day, Russia gives new reasons for tougher sanctions and stronger support for our defence," he said.

A seven-year-old girl was among 20 wounded, with doctors "fighting for her life", Sumy's Acting Mayor Artem Kobzar said.

Three people were also killed in a rocket attack in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Moscow's army said it had captured the village of Andriivka in the Sumy region, located around five kilometres (three miles) from the Russian border.

Zelensky said last week that Russia was massing some 50,000 soldiers for an offensive on the region.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's SBU security service claimed it had hit a pillar of the Crimean bridge linking the annexed peninsula to Russia with an underwater explosive device.

The extent of the damage was unclear following a temporary closure to the bridge after the attack.

A delegation of top Ukrainian officials also landed in Washington for talks with US officials on defence and economic issues, including the possibility of new sanctions, Zelensky's office said.

Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's top aide and a member of the delegation, met with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.

"I emphasized that Russia is stalling and manipulating the negotiation process in an attempt to avoid American sanctions, and has no genuine intention of ceasing hostilities," Yermak wrote on social media.

"Only strong sanctions can compel Russia to engage in serious negotiations."

Meanwhile, Russia's top security official Sergei Shoigu was in Pyongyang on Wednesday for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The two countries have drawn closer in recent years, with North Korea sending troops and weapons to support Moscow's war effort. Russian news agencies reported Shoigu and Kim were expected to discuss issues including Ukraine.

Trump, who said he could end the conflict swiftly when he returned to the White House in January, has repeatedly expressed anger at both Putin and Zelensky as the fighting drags through its fourth year with no end in sight.

But he has held off from imposing new economic penalties on Moscow.