As direct cease-fire negotiations loom, Ukraine and Russia are now reportedly trading accusations of foot-dragging, with talks set to commence on Monday in Istanbul.
The discussions, backed by the Trump administration, come amid rising tensions and military actions that continue to ravage Ukrainian cities.
The U.S. has urged Russia to maintain its commitment to peace talks, emphasizing its willingness to keep Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership off the agenda—an essential demand from Moscow.
Gen. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy for Ukraine, expressed President Trump’s frustration with Russia’s ongoing military strikes and the delay in presenting a formal list of negotiating terms.
“President Trump is frustrated by the unreasonable behavior he has observed,” Kellogg stated in a Thursday interview with ABC. He noted that Trump has proposed reasonable discussions but faced significant pushback from the Kremlin.
On June 2, Russia proposed a new round of negotiations in Istanbul, with the Kremlin reporting that its delegation was already en route.
However, Ukraine insists that Russia must first provide a written document outlining its terms for discussions. As of Friday, Moscow claimed it had not received confirmation of Kyiv’s participation in the upcoming talks.
Trump has warned that if no progress is made, he will reconsider U.S. involvement in facilitating peace efforts. Earlier this week, he emphasized the need for significant advancements within two weeks.
The administration’s recent hesitation to act as a mediator follows the initial direct talks between the two nations earlier this month, the first since 2022.
Despite the tentative resumption of dialogue, the gap between the two sides remains vast, with neither agreeing on preliminary terms to guide the negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of prolonging the conflict. “Russia is drawing the war out,” he stated in a video address, criticizing the Kremlin for failing to produce the promised memorandum detailing its conditions.
Zelensky suggested that Russia’s delays were designed to portray Ukraine as the obstacle to peace. Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Russian forces continue to make incremental gains.
In conversations with European leaders, Trump reportedly remarked that Putin believes he is winning, which undermines any immediate prospects for ending the war.
On Friday, Trump expressed surprise at Russia’s recent rocket assaults on Ukraine, stating, “I’d like to see that stop,” during a press briefing in the Oval Office.
While Russia has indicated its list of conditions will remain undisclosed, it has consistently demanded a legally binding agreement to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO—a stipulation Kellogg has acknowledged as reasonable.
As the clock ticks down to the scheduled talks, the international community watches closely, hoping for a breakthrough in a conflict that has already claimed countless lives and destabilized the region.
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