Russian President Putin acclaims Turkey's attempts at mediation concerning Ukraine, following their meeting with Erdogan.

Russia has once again called on Ukraine to cede four regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand that Kyiv has deemed unacceptable. This call comes amidst the ongoing conflict, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February 2022.

The warring sides in the conflict have radically different positions, with Ukraine vehemently opposing Russia's annexation claims. The invasion has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Recently, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, 2025, Russia's President Vladimir Putin met with leaders from China, India, Iran, and Central Asian countries to discuss security and the Ukraine conflict. However, direct negotiations specifically between Russia and Ukraine did not take place there, and no official representatives of Ukraine attended. Instead, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on SCO members such as India to pressure Russia for a ceasefire.

In a separate development, US President Donald Trump proposed a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, no information has been provided about any response from Zelensky regarding this proposed meeting. Moscow, on the other hand, has declined the meeting, stating it is too early before key issues are resolved.

Despite the lack of progress in resolving key issues, the talks have not been entirely fruitless. They have led to exchanges of prisoners and soldiers' bodies. During talks with Erdogan on the sidelines of the SCO summit, Putin expressed confidence that Turkey's role in matters will remain significant and stated that three rounds of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul have made some progress on the humanitarian track.

However, these talks have not resulted in a breakthrough over Russia's three-and-a-half-year invasion. Ukraine has accused Russia of sending low-level officials with no real decision-making power to the Istanbul talks. As of now, there is no information available about any further talks or negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

The conflict in Ukraine continues to be a significant source of tension in international relations, with no clear resolution in sight. The hope remains that diplomatic efforts will eventually lead to a peaceful resolution and an end to the suffering of the Ukrainian people.