The remains of 6,000 soldiers who died behind enemy lines would also be exchanged.

On Monday, the second round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine concluded at Istanbul’s Çırağan Palace after just over an hour of talks.

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Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange all prisoners of war who are seriously wounded or ill and to also release all captive military personnel between the ages of 18 and 25, said Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The remains of 6,000 soldiers who died behind enemy lines would be exchanged.

At the end of the meeting, both delegations agreed to hold regular meetings to “narrow differences,” although they noted a third meeting could be delayed.

This was the second direct dialogue in three years, following the collapse of negotiations in 2022. In his opening remarks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized both parties’ “trust” in the process and expressed his country’s hope that the talks would bring the sides closer to peace.

“The whole world is watching this meeting,” Fidan said, while highlighting Türkiye’s role as a neutral facilitator.

During the first round, held on May 16, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a large-scale prisoner exchange under the “1,000 for 1,000” formula and committed to presenting memorandums outlining their visions for a cease-fire. The current round focused on key issues including:

 Temporary cease-fire: Ukraine proposed a truce lasting at least 30 days.

 Prisoner exchange: An expansion is under consideration based on the “all for all” model.

 Security guarantees: Kyiv seeks international support while maintaining its aspiration to join NATO.

 Sanctions on Russia: The Ukrainian memorandum suggests a gradual lifting of sanctions, with reimposition clauses.

Before the talks, the Russian delegation — led by Vladimir Medinsky, an adviser to President Vladimir Putin — reiterated that Moscow had presented a memorandum outlining its position to “address the root causes of the crisis.” For his part, Umerov insisted that any agreement must include the possibility of NATO membership and the use of frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine.

However, the dialogue faces significant obstacles. Medinsky was added to Ukraine’s Mirotvorets website, which labels “enemies of Kyiv,” while Russia has accused Ukraine of recent drone attacks on regions including Moscow, Murmansk and Irkutsk.

Additionally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of “undermining the negotiations” by authorizing Ukraine to use their weapons on Russian territory.

A key unresolved issue is the possibility of a summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a final agreement. While Türkiye is promoting the meeting, the Kremlin insists that any progress depends on addressing “the root causes of the conflict,” referring to border security and Ukrainian neutrality.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE – Xinhua

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