THE third round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the ultimate goal of the talks was “a ceasefire that will pave the way to peace,” in the three-year-old war.

Speaking to the media after the talks, which lasted around 40 minutes, the Ukrainian delegation once again stressed that Kiev’s top priorities were a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents and a “real ceasefire” ending all strikes on civilian infrastructure. 

The Ukrainian delegation proposed holding such a meeting in August to satisfy the deadline set by United States President Donald Trump, who gave the Kremlin a 50-day ultimatum to reach a peace deal or face steep trade tariffs.

“We have made progress on the humanitarian track. There is no progress on cessation of hostilities or ceasefire,” said head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov.

Russian officials reiterated that a peace agreement needs to be finalised before the two leaders meet.

The head of Russia’s delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said Russia proposed 24- or 48-hour ceasefires along the front line so that medical teams could retrieve dead and wounded soldiers.

As for a broader truce, Moscow’s and Kiev’s “positions are quite distant from each other,” Mr Medinsky said, referring to the memorandums exchanged by both sides that set out conditions for a ceasefire. “We have agreed to continue contact.”

Both sides said more exchanges of prisoners of war were agreed on — at least 1,200 on each side, according to Mr Medinsky. 

Other issues discussed included the fate of civilian captives, Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers and wounded troops.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump threatened Russia with severe economic sanctions and said that more US weapons, paid for by European countries, would go to Ukraine. 

Mr Trump gave Russia until early September to agree to a ceasefire.