A peace compromise between Ukraine and Russia at the talks is unlikely — The New York Times

A peace compromise between Ukraine and Russia during the scheduled evening negotiations in Istanbul is unlikely. The primary focus will be on secondary matters.

This was reported by The New York Times.

“Expectations that the parties will agree to peace terms on Wednesday are extremely low. Instead, analysts are anticipating gradual progress on secondary issues, which could indicate the presence of mutual understanding,” the newspaper writes, referring to continued exchanges of prisoners and bodies of the deceased.

The article notes that the transfer of bodies “may offer the Kremlin political leverage, as it could force Kyiv to increase its official casualty figures.”

Russia has claimed that it has already handed over more than 7,000 bodies to Ukraine, while Kyiv has returned around 100 bodies in exchange.

The newspaper suggests that one of the main reasons Ukraine and Russia are even engaging in talks is pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who is reportedly urging both sides to negotiate.

However, according to some analysts, the mere fact that both sides have published their respective peace proposals is a sign of diplomatic progress.