Ukraine and Russia are set to hold another round of peace talks in Istanbul today, although Moscow has already moved to dampen expectations of any breakthrough whilst President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confronts unprecedented domestic opposition after signing a controversial law targeting anti-corruption agencies.
The Ukrainian president confirmed the new negotiations would take place in Turkey’s largest city, following previous talks in May and June that yielded only prisoner exchanges. However, Russian officials have signalled scepticism about achieving substantive progress, with the Kremlin maintaining its maximalist demands including territorial concessions and Ukraine’s neutrality.
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Kyiv and other major cities on Tuesday evening in the first significant demonstrations against Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The protests erupted after the president signed legislation that effectively strips Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies of their independence.
Low Expectations for Istanbul Meeting
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation and a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin, said his team approaches the negotiations with a “constructive mindset” but emphasised Russia’s goal remains addressing what Moscow calls the “root causes” of the conflict.
Russia views the negotiations as a continuation of the peace process in Istanbul, which was interrupted by the Ukrainian side three years ago,” Medinsky told journalists at the Russian Consulate in Istanbul ahead of today’s talks.
The reference to “root causes” will alarm Kyiv, as Moscow has previously defined these as including Ukraine’s sovereignty and NATO’s eastward expansion since the end of the Cold War.
Previous Rounds Yield Limited Results
The upcoming talks follow two previous direct meetings between the delegations in Istanbul. The first, on 16 May, lasted just two hours and resulted only in an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners from each side. A second meeting on 2 June ended after barely an hour, with both sides agreeing to swap severely wounded prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who leads Kyiv’s delegation, said the exchanges made the talks “worth it, because we will make a thousand Ukrainian families happy.” However, Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukraine’s calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create space for meaningful negotiations.
Unless they will stop, we will continue,” Zelenskyy told ABC News, referring to Ukraine’s military operations including drone strikes on Russian territory.
Trump Administration Involvement
The talks have been complicated by mixed signals from Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio flew to Istanbul for the May negotiations but said he wasn’t anticipating a “major breakthrough” given the relatively low rank of officials sent by Russia.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the pace of diplomacy, saying aboard Air Force One: “Look, nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together.
Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg have attended the Istanbul meetings, with the Trump administration backing Putin’s call for direct negotiations whilst also threatening sanctions if Russia refuses to engage seriously.
Historic Protests Rock Ukraine
Back in Ukraine, Zelenskyy faces his most serious domestic political crisis since becoming president. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential complex in Kyiv on Tuesday evening, with similar protests in Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa.
The protests, which continued despite martial law prohibiting public demonstrations, were triggered by parliament’s passage of Bill No. 12414, which subordinates the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) to the prosecutor general’s office.
They are crying that they do not want to return to the times of Yanukovych,” reported Kyiv Post journalist Sergii Kostezh from the scene, referring to Ukraine’s pro-Russian former president who fled during the 2014 revolution.
International Criticism Mounts
The legislation has drawn sharp criticism from Ukraine’s Western partners. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos expressed “serious concern” over the bill’s adoption, calling it “a serious step back” for Ukraine’s EU accession hopes.
“Independent bodies like NABU and SAPO are essential for Ukraine’s EU path. Rule of law remains in the very centre of EU accession negotiations,” Kos wrote on social media platform X.
The anti-corruption agencies, established in 2015 as part of reforms following the EuroMaidan Revolution, have operated independently, often investigating high-ranking officials and parliamentarians. Critics say the new law effectively ends this independence.
Veterans Lead Opposition
War veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi, who helped organise the protests, urged citizens to “take cardboard from boxes and make posters to write everything you think about the recent onslaught.”
Another veteran, Oleh Symoroz, speaking from a wheelchair after losing both legs in combat, accused the leadership of betraying democratic principles. “Those who swore to protect the laws and the Constitution have instead chosen to shield their inner circle, even at the expense of Ukrainian democracy,” he said.
Protesters carried signs reading “Veto the law,” “Protect the anti-corruption system, protect Ukraine’s future,” and “Power belongs to the people.” The demonstrations included active-duty soldiers, civilians, and anti-corruption activists, with crowds estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 in Kyiv alone.
Zelenskyy Defends Decision
In a late-night address, Zelenskyy defended signing the law, claiming the anti-corruption infrastructure would continue to work “but without Russian influence.”
“We need to clean up everything. And there should be more justice. Of course, NABU and SAPO will work,” the president said, without directly addressing the protests or explaining how the agencies would maintain effectiveness under prosecutorial control.
The timing of the controversy is particularly sensitive as Ukraine seeks to maintain Western support for its war effort and advance its EU membership bid. Fighting corruption has been a key condition for continued aid and integration with European institutions.
What Happens Next
Today’s peace talks in Istanbul are expected to focus on humanitarian issues, with little prospect for addressing the fundamental disagreements over territory and Ukraine’s future security arrangements. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has positioned Turkey as a mediator, saying both sides view his country as a “reliable” intermediary.
Meanwhile, the anti-corruption law controversy threatens to deepen divisions within Ukrainian society at a critical moment in the war. Transparency International’s Ukrainian branch warned that Zelenskyy now shares responsibility for “dismantling Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure.”
Both NABU and SAPO thanked protesters for their support, with NABU stating: “We were particularly impressed by the decisive stance of young people — the future of the country for which we work. We will continue to work and defend the independence of our investigations from interference.”
The protests mark a significant shift in Ukraine’s wartime political dynamics, potentially complicating Zelenskyy’s ability to maintain unified domestic support whilst negotiating with Russia and managing relations with Western allies.
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Image Credit:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the nation following the Kramatorsk railway station attack – Photo by President of Ukraine, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
