UPDATE 4-Russia, Ukraine hold more peace talks after Kyiv strikes nuclear-capable bombers

Russian and Ukrainian officials began their second round of direct peace talks since 2022 in Istanbul on Monday with no sign they are any closer to an agreement, one day after Kyiv struck some of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers.

The two sides are expected to discuss their respective ideas for what a full ceasefire and a longer term path to peace should look like amid stark disagreements and pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said the U.S. could abandon its role as a mediator if there's no progress. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations were holding their negotiations at Istanbul's sumptuous Ciragan Palace by the Bosphorus. There was an unexplained delay in the start of talks which had originally been slated to start at 10 GMT.

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Moscow's delegation, said that Russia had received Ukraine's draft memorandum for a peace accord ahead of the talks. Russia had said it would present its own draft peace accord at the talks along with unspecified ceasefire proposals. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is heading the Ukrainian delegation. Their last round of talks in Istanbul on May 16 yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war with each side freeing 1,000 prisoners, but no sign of peace - or even a ceasefire as both sides merely stated their opening negotiating positions which were far apart. (Writing by Andrew Osborn; Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly, Olena Harmash in Kyiv, Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara Editing by Gareth Jones)

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