Russia downplays chances of peace as it intensifies deadly airstrikes across Ukraine.

At a Glance

• Russia rules out major breakthroughs at Istanbul peace talks.
• Multiple Ukrainian cities hit by overnight missile and drone attacks.
• A child killed and dozens injured in fresh civilian bombings.
• Kremlin reiterates demands for Ukrainian military withdrawal.
• Western allies ramp up military support and trade threats.

War Diplomacy in the Shadow of Bloodshed

As the third round of high-stakes peace talks looms in Istanbul, Russia has preemptively dampened any flicker of optimism. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov bluntly warned against expecting “miracles,” asserting that no substantive outcomes are on the horizon. This chilling forecast is accompanied by an uptick in violent assaults on Ukrainian cities, underscoring the grim duality of diplomacy cloaked in warfare.

Overnight barrages of Russian missiles and Iranian-supplied drones battered multiple regions, including Kyiv, Sumy, and Kramatorsk. The attacks have left at least a dozen civilians wounded, with Kramatorsk mourning the death of a 10-year-old boy after residential areas were pummeled with glide bombs. Sumy also reported injuries to several children, deepening the humanitarian toll of a war now in its third brutal year.

Watch a report: Russia and Ukraine will hold new peace talks on Wednesday in Turkiye – YouTube

Moscow’s defiant posture in both battlefield aggression and diplomatic stonewalling suggests a deliberate strategy. Russia’s stated conditions remain unyielding: Ukraine must pull back from territories Moscow claims to have annexed, agree to a neutral status, and accept severe limitations on its military capabilities. Such prerequisites are nonstarters for Kyiv, whose leadership remains committed to restoring its full territorial sovereignty.

A Theater of Negotiation or a Trap?

The Istanbul summit, scheduled for July 23, is shaping up as a potential farce rather than a forum for genuine progress. While Ukraine is prepared to table demands for a ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, and the return of abducted children, Russia has shown no signs of reciprocity. Instead, its intensified attacks may be an attempt to shift the battlefield dynamics in its favor before any diplomatic compromises are considered.

Western nations, led by the United States, are layering pressure on Moscow. The Trump administration has greenlit additional shipments of Patriot air defense systems, while President Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on Russian goods if no ceasefire emerges within 50 days. Despite these moves, Russia’s military command appears undeterred, emboldened by recent territorial gains in the Donbas region.

Further complicating matters is Ukraine’s persistent call for direct talks between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin—a proposal the Kremlin has so far ignored. Instead, Moscow continues to dictate terms through lower-level envoys, signaling little appetite for meaningful resolution.

As the world watches the Istanbul proceedings unfold, the specter of a protracted, bloodier conflict looms large. Absent genuine concessions or a strategic shift, these talks may serve only as a veneer for escalating war.