After a long wait, negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow resumed in Istanbul, starting at 12:30 PM on Friday, albeit with a delay from the initial schedule.

The Russian news agency TASS had previously stated that the talks would begin at noon.

This marks the first direct negotiations since the unsuccessful talks in Istanbul in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that the current negotiations are a continuation of past attempts.

The Ukrainian delegation is led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian side is represented by former Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the primary goal is to reach an agreement on a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, although the lower-level Russian delegation likely lacks the authority to declare a truce.

A U.S. delegation headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the Ukrainian delegation on Friday morning, aiming to lay the groundwork for the negotiations.

Putin, who initially proposed talks in response to a Western ultimatum, will not participate in today’s meetings.

Zelensky will also be absent, criticizing Putin for sending a “decorative” delegation instead of attending in person.

Western officials have characterized the Istanbul meetings as either a grand fiasco or a sophisticated diplomatic chess game.

Earlier, the West urged for increased sanctions against Moscow if it fails to adhere to an unconditional ceasefire by Monday, May 12, but later indicated that Moscow must show progress this week before sanctions are imposed.

The Kremlin stated that the delegation would attempt to address the so-called “root causes” of its invasion, which in previous statements meant the neutralization of Ukraine.