Key Points – Recent Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul (early June) yielded only agreements on prisoner exchanges and repatriation of war dead, with no progress towards a ceasefire or ending the war due to irreconcilable demands.
-Russia insists on Ukraine ceding significant territory and neutrality, while Ukraine demands full territorial integrity and reparations.
-Meanwhile, hostilities escalate: Ukraine reportedly struck the Kerch Bridge in Crimea this week and previously launched “Operation Spiderweb,” a massive drone attack on Russian airbases.
-Russia continues its bombardment of Ukrainian cities like Sumy, with Ukrainian officials accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians and rescue workers.
Ukraine War: Peace Talks Fail as Kerch Bridge Struck & Drone Raids Escalate
Russia and Ukraine sat down this week for talks, which didn’t appear to get the two sides any closer to a ceasefire, much less the end of the war.
Also, the two sides are continuing to strike one another.
According to Sky News, Ukraine is claiming that it has struck the Kerch Bridge in Crimea with explosives in an underwater operation, which has led Russia to accuse Ukraine of “acts of terrorism.” Russia, per the BBC, announced that the bridge was closing, although it has since reopened.
This follows the attack earlier this week in which Ukraine successfully used more than 100 drones to strike aircraft across Russian territory, including several different time zones.
“Today, a brilliant operation was carried out — on enemy territory, targeting only military objectives, specifically the equipment used to strike Ukraine. Russia suffered significant losses — entirely justified and deserved,” President Zelenskyy said on X about the drone attack.
Meanwhile, Sky reported, Russia has been attacking Ukrainian rescuers.
“In Stepnohirsk, Zaporizhzhia region, after the kamikaze drones struck the fire department, the occupiers targeted the rescuers who were evacuating the wounded,” Ihor Klymenko, a Ukrainian government minister, told Sky News.
The BBC added that Russia has continued to attack civilian areas.
“The Russians brutally attacked Sumy. Just the city, on ordinary streets – with rocket artillery,” President Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, per The BBC, adding it was “an absolutely deliberate attack on civilians”.
Why the Bridge Matters
According to Sky News, that bridge is “a key supply route for Russian sources,” and Ukraine has hit the bridge twice before since the start of the war.
“For Ukraine, this isn’t just a strategic target, this is also a symbolic one,” Sky’s Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett said.
“This bridge was a real flagship project for Putin and has become the visual representation of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. For Ukraine, any kind of hit on this bridge would count as a PR win.”
Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014.
Talks Continue
Russia and Ukraine briefly held talks in Istanbul earlier this week. While the two sides agreed to exchange more prisoners, as well as the bodies of the war dead, no progress was made on assuring a ceasefire or in bringing an end to the war that began more than three years ago.
The talks were led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky, with the leaders of the countries themselves not participating. Turkey presided over the talks amid indications that President Trump has lost interest in the process, even taking occasional shots at Putin. While Trump had promised on the campaign trail to end the war quickly, a settlement has not materialized.
“Expectations were low for any breakthrough on ending the 3-year-old war after a string of stunning attacks over the weekend,” the Associated Press said.
Two Peace Plans
Russia reportedly has proposed draconian conditions as part of its “peace plan,” including international recognition of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as Russian territory, Ukraine agreeing to recognize itself as a neutral country, and to accept a smaller army going forward.
Ukraine considers these nonstarters and has also put forward its own blueprint to bring about an end to the war.
Per Reuters, the Ukrainian side is calling for “no restrictions on its military strength after any peace deal, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow’s forces, and reparations.”
“If the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently, urgently needed,” Zelenskyy said after the talks, per the AP.
Therefore, the war between Russia and Ukraine will likely continue indefinitely.
About the Author:
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
Russia’s Bomber Forces
Pingback: Russia's Military Will Suffer: Ukraine's Drone Attack Is a 'Game Changer' - National Security Journal