Russia and Ukraine held a brief 40-minute meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday, discussing further prisoner exchanges but failing to make progress on a ceasefire or summit between their presidents.
Ukraine's chief delegate Rustem Umerov, confirmed some humanitarian progress, such as plans for additional prisoners of war (POW) swaps and the return of deported children, but said Moscow remained resistant to a broader cessation of hostilities.
Umerov added, "By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach."
Ukraine proposed a meeting between Presidents Volodymr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin by the end of August, aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's 50-day ultimatum for a peace deal.
However, Russia’s chief delegate Vladimir Medinsky said a leaders’ summit should only happen to finalize an agreement, not to renegotiate terms.
While Ukraine pushes for a long-term ceasefire, Russia suggested short 24–48-hour halts to recover bodies.
They agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war from each side.
Medinsky claimed Russia is working to return 339 Ukrainian children and offered to hand over 3,000 Ukrainian corpses, denying abduction allegations.
"Some of the children have already been returned back to Ukraine. Work is under way on the rest. If their legal parents, close relatives, representatives are found, these children will immediately return home," Medinsky said.
Despite hopes, the Kremlin downplayed expectations before the meeting, and the session ended as the shortest yet—underscoring the gulf between the two sides.
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Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
The U.S. military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in its retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East so far.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European and NATO ally refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
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