Russian round between Russia and Ukraine ends without advances

The first round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since 2022 ended on Friday (16) in Istanbul without any sign of progress. The meeting lasted less than two hours and was marked by the absence of presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

Without the heads of state, the meeting was seen by international analysts as a symbolic diplomatic gesture, but emptied of royal decision -making power.

The Russian delegation was led by Putin’s advisor Vladimir Medinski who had already participated in the negotiations in 2022. The absence of Russian government central figures led the Ukrainian delegation to consider the “decorative” group, according to words by President Zelensky himself.

Kremlin, in turn, said the team in Istanbul was in permanent contact with Putin, receiving direct guidance during the process.

Despite the limitation of the meeting, Turkey’s chancellor Hakan Fidan, who measured the meeting, argued that the resumption of dialogue can pave the way for future conversations at the level of heads of state.

According to him, the continuity of war will only bring more destruction and the choice between peace and the deepening of the conflict is exclusively the parties involved.

European Union announces a new offensive of sanctions against Moscow

Even before the official end of the meeting in Istanbul, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that the European Union is elaborating a new package of sanctions against Moscow.

Targets include Nord Stream pipelines, which connect Russia to Europe, the Russian banking sector and the so -called “shadow fleet” – composed of ships used to circumvent oil embargoes.

Von der Leyen also stated that the European bloc evaluates to reduce the Russian gross oil price ceiling, currently defined within the G7. According to her, the measures are a way of “applying pressure” to peace.

However, diplomats heard by the European press admitted that there are internal resistance to the proposal, especially from Hungary.

The announcement of sanctions amid the negotiation process reveals the disinterest of Western powers by an effectively diplomatic solution.

Instead of seeking to facilitate dialogue, the European Union chooses to reinforce the logic of unilateral punishment, reproducing the standard of political climbing that has marked its performance since the beginning of the conflict.

USA play behind the scenes while Trump conditions advances in meeting with Putin

While the negotiations took place, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukraine’s presidential office chief Andriy Yermak and Turkish chancellor Hakan Fidan.

According to an official statement, the meetings dealt with the “importance of seeking a peaceful exit”, although no concrete proposal was presented by Washington.

Donald Trump told the press that there will be no progress in the conflict as long as he and Vladimir Putin do not meet in person. The statement echoes its traditional strategy of centralizing diplomatic processes in direct agreements, ignoring multilateral institutions.

In this context, Ursula von der Leyen said she was in “narrow contact” with Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican and fierce critical of Vladimir Putin. Graham is an ally of Trump on various internal themes, but historically defends an interventionist and war -in line in US foreign policy.

His proposal to impose massive fares against Russia has little public adhesion in the White House, but serves as an instrument of indirect pressure.

By waving to Graham, von der Leyen seeks to embarrass Washington to accompany the European climb, taking advantage of the internal divisions among pragmatic trumppers and republicans traditionally aligned with the military-industrial complex.

This is a clear attempt by the European Commission to impose its agenda even in the face of the White House hesitation.

Türkiye defends direct dialogue and rejects external impositions

Having the meeting, Turkey reaffirmed its willingness to act as a mediator and warned of the risk of prolonging the conflict if there is no political will of the parties involved. “Each day of delay brings us closer to more destruction. This is a chance that should be considered seriously,” said Chancellor Hakan Fidan.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Zelensky in Ankara before the meeting and reiterated the need to preserve dialogue channels. Also attending the meeting the head of Turkish intelligence, İBrahim Kalin, signaling the high degree of attention attributed by Ankara to the resumption of negotiations.

Turkey has sought to play a bridge role among conflict actors, maintaining relations with both Moscow and Kiev. Outside the European Union and with autonomous acting against NATO, the Turkish government bets on direct dialogue as an alternative to the imposition of sanctions and the diplomatic block promoted by the West.

Under Western hegemony, negotiations are still limited

This Friday’s meeting revealed the structural limits of the current attempt to resume dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. The absence of leaders, US disinterest and early announcement of new sanctions by the European Union demonstrate that negotiation mechanisms are subordinate to the confrontation logic imposed by Western powers.

Far from making room for lasting resolution, Washington and Brussels actions deepen the geopolitical confrontation and empty any attempt to build a negotiated, sovereign and multilateral output for conflict.