Russia-Ukraine Talks in Istanbul End Without Ceasefire Agreement

For decades, the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow was the central geopolitical spectacle of the post-Soviet space — a demonstration of Russia’s military power, a symbol of victory in the Second World War, and a reminder that the Kremlin still claimed the role of the center of the former Soviet empire. Red Square gathered leaders from dozens of countries, while foreign delegations stood beside the Russian leadership against the backdrop of rolling tanks and flights of strategic bombers.

In a war defined by its refusal to follow scripts, even symbolic dates struggle to impose order. As Russia announced a unilateral cease-fire for May 8–9 — aligning with the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II — Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, responded not with endorsement but with a counterproposal: silence, beginning earlier, on Ukraine’s own terms.

Russia has announced its intention to cease fire on the occasion of Victory Day on May 9 regardless of whether Ukraine agrees to the proposal — a move that highlights both the symbolic importance of the date in Russian political culture and the continuing stalemate on the battlefield.

By Saturday evening, initial details emerged about the unexpected visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Azerbaijan, which, according to sources, had been prepared in advance with the involvement of military officials and focused on security and defence cooperation.