Ukrainian official accuses Russia of making unacceptable demands at peace talks

They gathered in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expected the talks to yield little immediate progress

The talks are being held in Istanbul, Turkey (Francisco Seco, Pool/AP)

A senior Ukrainian official at peace talks in Istanbul has accused Russia of introducing “unacceptable demands” that had not been previously discussed, including calls for Kyiv’s forces to withdraw from large swathes of territory they control so a complete ceasefire to be implemented.

The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make official statements, said it seemed as if the Russian delegation “deliberately wants to throw nonstarters on the table in order to walk away from today’s meeting without any results”.