WASHINGTON, DC – The US State Department on Thursday pressed for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” in Ukraine, following a third round of direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on Wednesday.
The warring sides remained far apart on core issues despite some progress on humanitarian matters.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“We are aware that a third round of direct talks took place between the two parties,” Tommy Pigott, the State Department principal deputy spokesperson, said in a daily briefing.
“We support Ukraine’s continued calls for a full, unconditional ceasefire – including the complete halt of all strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure,” he added.
Pigott also welcomed an agreement by Russia and Ukraine for a further exchange of prisoners, particularly the severely ill and wounded.
Ukrainian delegation head Rustem Umerov indicated that the prisoner exchange would involve 1,200 individuals from each side, doubling the number swapped since May.
Wednesday’s talks, which lasted about 40 minutes, produced no breakthrough on a ceasefire, with both Umerov and Medinsky acknowledging the wide divergence in their positions.
Ukraine continues to demand a full ceasefire before discussing a durable peace, while Russia insists on agreeing to peace terms before halting its offensive.
Asked by Kyiv Post if the absence of a ceasefire and the continuation of Russian attacks meant it was a “missed opportunity,” Pigott reiterated the White House stance. “The President has been clear many times about how he views certain actions by Russia, especially over recent weeks,” he said, referring to Donald Trump.
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“[President Trump] has been very clear on that, very transparent on that. He’s also been clear that we want to see the parties continue those direct talks to reach that ceasefire, that comprehensive ceasefire, and eventually that negotiated peace settlement,” Pigott added.
Trump has made ending the war a key foreign policy promise and has used various incentives and threats to encourage negotiations, aiming to prevent either side from publicly abandoning the peace process and potentially antagonizing Washington.
While a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin remains a Ukrainian priority, Moscow has rejected such a meeting at this stage, pushing instead for three working groups to address political, humanitarian, and military aspects of a peace process.