Russia threatened to capture two more regions of Ukraine during negotiations: The Economist revealed details of the blackmail.

Russia's Ultimatum During Negotiations in Istanbul

Despite claims of successful negotiations, the Russian delegation led by Vladimir Medinsky issued ultimatums and threats. Oliver Carroll reported that Medinsky stated: 'We don't want war, but we are ready to fight for a year, two, three - however long it takes. We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?'

Have an inside view into the Russia-UA talks from a well-placed source. This from Ru delegation head Medinsky says it all: “We don’t want war, but we’re ready to fight for a year, two, three—however long it takes. We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?”

— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) May 16, 2025

The Russian side also threatened to capture two more regions - Kharkiv and Sumy. Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four 'annexed' regions as a condition for a ceasefire.

Details of the Negotiations

The meeting between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia took place at the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul and lasted over two hours. The Ukrainian side expressed satisfaction with the results of the negotiations and confirmed its readiness for further contact. The possible meeting of the leaders of the countries was discussed in the future.

Despite the ultimatums from Russia, the agreement on the exchange of prisoners in the format of '1000 for 1000' remains in force. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the negotiations spoke with U.S. President and held consultations with European leaders regarding strong sanctions in case Russia does not comply with the terms of the agreements.