The Russian and Ukrainian negotiators announced today, Friday, after their talks, which lasted less than two hours in Istanbul, that they discussed the possibility of a ceasefire, organizing a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Voludimir Zellinski, and exchanged a thousand prisoners from each side.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have held the first direct negotiations between the two parties since the spring of 2022, with the aim of reaching a solution to the war.
“During the coming days, a large number of prisoners will be exchanged about 1000 compared to 1000,” said Russian negotiator Vladimir Midinski. This was confirmed by the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustam Omarov.
“The Ukrainian side requested direct negotiations between the two heads of the two countries,” Voludimir Zellinski and Vladimir Putin, and that Moscow “took note of this request.”
Amruf also pointed to “the possibility of holding a meeting at the leadership level.”
The two sides discussed the ceasefire in Ukraine, and Midinski stressed that they are currently being “presenting their visions” of the truce and detailing them.
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The Russian negotiator added in a brief press statement: “Once this vision is presented, we believe it will be appropriate to continue our negotiations.”
Midinski stated that he was “generally satisfied with the results of” talks and that he is “ready to continue contacts” with the Ukrainians.
The exchange of prisoners of war is one of the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kiev.
Kiev and its western allies have been nurturing Russia for weeks to accept a “unconditional” ceasefire for 30 days in Ukraine.
Moscow has so far rejected this initiative, considering that stopping the fighting would allow the Ukrainian army, which faces difficulties on the front in recent months, to renounce itself with the help of Western countries. Russia is calling for the suspension of the delivery of Western weapons to Kyiv before any truce.
