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https://www.wsj.com/world/did-ukraine-miss-an-early-chance-to-negotiate-peace-with-russia-d864b7c9

Did Ukraine Miss an Early Chance to Negotiate Peace With Russia?

Weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, diplomats from both sides met for peace talks. Then the world learned about Russia’s massacre in Bucha.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams at peace talks in Istanbul, March 29, 2022. Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

By Yaroslav Trofimov

Updated Jan. 5, 2024 12:14 am ET

The lead Ukrainian negotiator, David Arakhamia, pointed to a bottle of sanitizing gel on the table, covered by a crisp white cloth, as Russian and Ukrainian peace delegations gathered in Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace.

“That’s an antiseptic,” Arakhamia told his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky.