Kathmandu: Ukraine has announced its readiness to take "necessary steps for peace" as high-level talks with Russia resumed on Monday in Istanbul, Turkey. This marks the first direct negotiation between the two nations in months, aiming to find a resolution to the war that has now entered its third year following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The second round of peace talks began at 1 p.m. local time at the historic Cihangir Palace, a luxury hotel along the Bosphorus. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is mediating the discussions, with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s close ally, Vladimir Medinsky, leading the Russian delegation. Ukraine is represented by Defense Minister Rustam Umarov. Ukrainian officials also held parallel meetings with delegates from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy.

The talks come shortly after Ukraine executed one of its most ambitious operations to date, claiming it damaged 40 strategic Russian bombers worth $7 billion in a drone attack deep within Russian territory. The Ukrainian security services reportedly spent 18 months preparing the operation by smuggling drones into Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at a NATO summit in Vilnius, emphasized that Ukraine is ready for peace but insisted on key conditions: a full ceasefire, the release of prisoners, and the return of abducted Ukrainian children. He has also called for a direct meeting with President Putin, asserting that only national leaders can resolve the core issues of the conflict.

Despite Ukraine’s outreach, the Kremlin has rejected the idea of a Zelensky-Putin meeting, questioning Zelensky's legitimacy and reiterating demands that Ukraine be barred from joining NATO, be partially demilitarized, and that so-called “root causes” of the war be addressed. Ukraine and Western allies have consistently rejected these demands, labeling Russia’s invasion as an unprovoked act of aggression and a modern imperialist land grab.

In recent weeks, Russia has made territorial gains in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, where Putin has ordered the creation of a "buffer zone" near the border. Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that some occupied territories may have to be recovered through diplomacy rather than military means. Kyiv has also requested NATO-level protection or robust security guarantees supported by Western forces—conditions that Russia firmly opposes.

The war, which has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, has killed tens of thousands of people and devastated much of eastern and southern Ukraine. Millions have been displaced, and the humanitarian toll continues to rise.

While the first round of talks in Istanbul last month led to a significant prisoner exchange, a permanent resolution remains elusive. The current talks are viewed as a potential turning point, though the path to lasting peace remains uncertain.