Ukraine Galang Allied Support After Ceasefire Fails To Be Agreed With Russia

JAKARTA - Ukraine garnered support from its Western allies on Friday after Kyiv and Moscow failed to agree to a ceasefire at their first direct talks in more than three years.

Ukraine calls Russia submitting the terms described by a Ukrainian source as "impossible".

Under pressure from US President Donald Trump to end Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War Two, delegations from warring countries met for the first time since March 2022, a month after Russia invaded its neighbor.

Talks at Istanbul's palace lasted less than two hours. Russia said it was satisfied with the meeting and said it was ready to resume contact.

The two countries said they had agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in what would be the biggest exchange so far.

But Kyiv, who wanted the West to impose stricter sanctions unless Moscow received a proposal from Trump for a 30-day ceasefire, immediately began to rally its allies for tougher action.

As soon as the talks ended, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call with Trump and French, German and Polish leaders, his spokesman said.

Zelenskyy said strong sanctions would follow if Russia refused a ceasefire.

Russia's demands "regardless of reality and go far beyond anything that has been discussed before," a source in the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Moscow had issued an ultimatum for Ukraine to withdraw from parts of its own territory to obtain a ceasefire "and other unacceptable and unconstructive requirements".

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Russia's position was "clearly unacceptable" and European, Ukrainian, and US leaders were "one-sided" in response.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was drafting a new sanctions package against Moscow.

Russia's negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told reporters his team had "considered" Ukraine's request for direct negotiations between Zelenskiy and President Vladimir Putin.

Putin, after proposing direct talks, has rejected the challenge of the Ukrainian leader to meet him personally in Istanbul.

"We have agreed that each side will convey its vision of a possible ceasefire in the future and outline it in detail. Once the vision is delivered, we believe it will be appropriate, as also agreed, to continue our negotiations," Medinsky said.