It was the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion. While both sides agreed to a prisoner swap, they remain far apart on ending the fighting.

Türkiye hosts first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in three years, sides agree on largest prisoner exchange since war began

Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years on Friday, gathering in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expected them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war.