Skip next section Zelenskyy urges ‘strong reaction’ to Russia if talks fail May 16, 2025
Zelenskyy urges ‘strong reaction’ to Russia if talks fail Zelenskyy has dismissed Russia’s delegation at the peace talks as merely “decorative.”Image: Pou/ROPI/picture allianceUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged his country’s Western allies to show a “strong reaction” against Moscow if peace talks taking place in Istanbul on Friday don’t yield any tangible progress.
Lower level delegations from Ukraine and Russia were meeting in the Turkish city, the first time representatives from the two warring nations have held direct talks since the spring of 2022, just after Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin last week proposed the talks in Turkey, he has not attended the Istanbul meetings.
“We had a real chance to take important steps toward ending this war if only Putin had not been afraid to come to Turkey,” Zelenskyy told a European Political Community summit in the Albanian capital, Tirana.
“If it turns out that the Russian delegation really is just theatrical and can’t deliver any results today … there needs to be a strong reaction, including sanctions against Russia’s energy sector and banks,” he said.
Zelenskyy said only a “full, unconditional, and honest ceasefire” would provide a “solid basis for diplomacy” to end the war.
The Ukrainian leader stressed that the delegation he has sent to Istanbul “has a mandate to make decisions” as he called on Putin “to give his delegation real authority.”
“Pressure must continue to rise until real progress is made. Ukraine is ready to take all realistic steps to end this war,” Zelenskyy said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uU0d
Skip next section Welcome back to our coverageMay 16, 2025
Welcome back to our coverageRussian and Ukrainian delegations are holding direct negotiations in Istanbul, marking the first talks of the kind since 2022, the year the war started.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for sending what he described as a “low-level” team to Ukraine talks in Turkey and avoiding a direct meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy said he would not take part in talks due to Putin’s absence, instead sending a delegation headed by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
A Ukrainian diplomatic source told news agencies that Kyiv would make securing a ceasefire its main focus in talks.
DW will bring you the latest news, analysis and insight from our reporters and correspondents regarding Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Stay tuned for more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uU05
Skip next section EU Commission chief vows to ‘increase pressure’ on PutinMay 16, 2025
EU Commission chief vows to ‘increase pressure’ on PutinThe European Union is working on a new sanctions against Russia, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.
“We will increase the pressure,” von der Leyen said before a meeting with European leaders in Albania.
She said the package would include sanctions against Russia’s financial sector and Nordstream 1 and 2, gas pipelines that run from Russia to Germany.
Sanctions against Nordstream would be more of a symbolic gesture as no gas currently flows through the pipelines.
Sanctions would also be imposed on more ships that are part of Russia’s shadow fleet, she said, referring to tankers involved in smuggling Russian oil in violation of sanctions.
What is Russia’s shadow fleet doing in the Baltic Sea?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Von der Leyen also talked of lowering the oil price cap paid for Russian oil, a measure aimed at cutting one of Russia’s most important sources of income.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uTMn
Skip next section Russians, Ukrainians sit down in Turkey for first talks since 2022 May 16, 2025
Russians, Ukrainians sit down in Turkey for first talks since 2022 Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine have started holding their first direct peace talks in more than three years of war.
Live Turkish television showed the delegations from the two countries, along with representatives from Turkey, holding discussions at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was seen on TV making a speech at the start of the meeting.
A photograph released by Ukraine’s foreign ministry showed the Russian and Ukrainian delegations sitting opposite each other at a U-shaped table, with Turkish representatives at the head of the table.
The two sides didn’t shake hands upon meeting, the BBC reported citing their camera operator who was in the room.
Ukraine and Russia last held direct talks, also in Istanbul, in March 2022, in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which were held just after Ukraine’s forces pushed Russian troops away from Kyiv.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uTaT
Skip next section Kremlin says Putin-Trump meeting ‘essential’ but needs preparationMay 16, 2025
Kremlin says Putin-Trump meeting ‘essential’ but needs preparationThe Kremlin has said that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump was “undoubtedly essential.”
“Contacts between presidents Putin and Trump are extremely important in the context of the Ukrainian settlement,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters,
But Peskov added that such a meeting required considerable advance preparation and had to yield results.
Peskov was commenting after Trump said he would meet Putin “as soon as we can set it up”.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uTWO
Skip next section Russian, Ukrainian delegations arrive at talks venue: Russian newsMay 16, 2025
Russian, Ukrainian delegations arrive at talks venue: Russian newsUkrainian, American, and Turkish diplomats met ahead of planned direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations Image: Turkish Foreign MinistryDelegations from both Russia and Ukraine have arrived at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace, the venue in Turkey where talks are being held.
That’s according to Russian new site Izvestia.
Ukraine’s delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is due to meet with a Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Ukraine’s delegation earlier held talks with the United States and Turkey.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who flew into Turkey early on Friday, was at the hour-long meeting.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uTJx
Skip next section Ukraine to make securing a ceasefire a priority in Turkey talks: Ukraine sourceMay 16, 2025
Ukraine to make securing a ceasefire a priority in Turkey talks: Ukraine sourceUkraine’s delegation in Istanbul will make securing a ceasefire a priority in expected talks with the Russian delegation on Friday, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told news agencies AFP and Reuters.
The ceasefire needs to be “real, durable and well-monitored,” the diplomatic source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Negotiators from Ukraine also plan to discuss the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the source said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uTKG
Skip next section Putin made ‘mistake’ sending ‘low-level’ team to Ukraine talks: NATO chiefMay 16, 2025
Putin made ‘mistake’ sending ‘low-level’ team to Ukraine talks: NATO chiefNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin now “has to play ball.”
“All pressure is on him,” Rutte said at a meeting of EU leaders in Albania on Friday.
He added that Putin had made a mistake by sending what Rutte called a “low-level” delegation to talks with Ukraine in Turkey.
But it was good, Rutte said, that the Ukrainians have come to the table.
Putin was the one who proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine, however, the Russian president didn’t meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s challenge to meet in person.
Instead, Putin has sent a team of mid-ranking officials to the Istanbul talks.
Putin hasn’t traveled outside of Russia this year, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
Russian state media downplay Ukraine peace talksTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section Ukraine loses third F-16 fighter jet, pilot rescued: Ukrainian air forceMay 16, 2025
Ukraine loses third F-16 fighter jet, pilot rescued: Ukrainian air forceUkraine lost an F-16 fighter jet early on Friday, the Ukrainian air force said in a statement on the Telegram messenger app.
The pilot ejected safely, it said, describing his condition as “satisfactory.”
The pilot was engaged in repelling a Russian aerial attack, according to the statement, when “an emergency situation arose on board.”
“The pilot moved the aircraft away from the settlement and successfully ejected,” the air force said.
It didn’t provide details on the plane’s fate or the location of the likely crash site.
The crash is the probably the third involving the American-made F-16 since Ukraine began receiving the fighter jets from US allies in mid-2024.
Russia said it downed a plane in April 2025. Ukraine didn’t confirm that but said it lost a pilot during a combat mission.
In August 2024, Ukraine said a pilot died while repelling a major Russian air strike.
Ukraine hasn’t disclosed the number of aircraft it has received from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.
In total, NATO members have committed around 65 F-16s since US President Joe Biden authorized European allies in August 2023 to send the fighter jets to Ukraine.
France also sent a batch of French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets in February 2025.
Ukraine unveils first F-16 jets from NATO alliesTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section DW’s comprehensive list of broken ceasefires and agreements in the Ukraine warMay 16, 2025
DW’s comprehensive list of broken ceasefires and agreements in the Ukraine warDid you know there have been at least 8 short-term agreements and ceasefires since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 2022?
But none of them have seen lasting peace.
To help you get a better overview, DW has put together this list of ceasefires breakdowns between Russia and Ukraine since early 2022.
It also explains the pacts between Russia and Ukraine in the lead up to the war.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uSjF
Skip next section Ukraine peace depends on direct Trump-Putin meeting: RubioMay 16, 2025
Ukraine peace depends on direct Trump-Putin meeting: RubioTrump and Putin met in 2018 in Helsinki Image: Kremlin Pool/ZUMA Press/imagoUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said only direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could bring about a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine.
“Nothing is going to happen until President Trump sits across … from Vladimir Putin and … puts it on the table,” Rubio said on Thursday ahead of planned talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Turkey on Friday.
“I think that’s the only chance we have at peace at this point given everything we’ve seen over the last few weeks,” Rubio told Fox News, repeating comments he had made earlier in the day.
Trump made similar remarks on Thursday.
“Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?” Trump told journalists on the final day of his Middle East visit.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uSib
Skip next section Guterres says Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be respectedMay 16, 2025
Guterres says Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be respectedUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine in the course of the possible peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
“A just peace means respecting the UN Charter, international law, and Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This will not be easy,” Guterres told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
According to the UN chief, the principle of territorial integrity is of the utmost importance. “It is fundamental to peace and security in the world,” Guterres said, adding that if the principle of territorial integrity no longer applied, it would lead to an increase in conflicts.
Russian state media downplay Ukraine peace talksTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Nevertheless, he observed the ongoing peace efforts with optimism. Guterres expressed confidence that a ceasefire could be reached without preconditions to create the basis for a just peace between Russia and Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uSTy
Skip next section UK’s Starmer says Putin ‘must pay the price for avoiding peace’May 16, 2025
UK’s Starmer says Putin ‘must pay the price for avoiding peace’Ahead of a European Political Community meeting in Albania, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must pay the price for avoiding peace.”
“Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, (are) intolerable,” Starmer said in a statement.
The European Political Community summit is taking place on the same day that talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are expected to begin in Turkey.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uSS2
Skip next section No breakthrough is expected from Russian-Ukrainian talks in IstanbulMay 16, 2025
No breakthrough is expected from Russian-Ukrainian talks in IstanbulNegotiations between Ukrainian and Russian envoys in Istanbul are expected to begin Friday morning.
Sources from Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told German news agency dpa that the first direct meeting between the two countries in three years is now set to take place with Turkish representatives present.
The ministry sources also said that trilateral talks are planned between the United States, Ukraine and Turkey, as well as between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
The US delegation is led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He told reporters that the United States “doesn’t have high expectations” for the Ukraine talks in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told the Interfax news agency that his delegation expects the Ukrainian side at 10 a.m. (7:00 a.m. UST) and is ready for direct talks without preconditions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would not attend the talks in protest of his counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin, refusing to participate.
Zelenskyy said that Putin’s decision to send a “decorative” lineup instead of attending himself showed that the Russian leader was not serious about ending the war.
Russia accused Ukraine of trying “to put on a show” around the talks.
‘They’re not taking the real negotiations very seriously’To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4uSRu
Skip next section Welcome to our coverageMay 16, 2025
Welcome to our coverageLow-profile talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to begin in Istanbul, Turkey.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who proposed the talks, will not attend.
His Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has already arrived in Turkey and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.
Zelenskyy confirmed that he will not take part in talks with Russian officials. Instead, he is sending a delegation headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
DW will bring you the latest news, analysis and insight from our reporters and correspondents regarding Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Stay tuned for more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uSRZ
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