Russia and Ukraine Agree to New Prisoner Exchange After Second Round of Talks, But No Ceasefire In Sight
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a new prisoner exchange after their delegates met for a second round of renewed peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, but there was no sign the warring sides were any closer to reaching a ceasefire deal than they were when direct negotiations were restarted a month ago.
Following the meeting, chief Ukrainian negotiator Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told reporters that his team gave Russian delegates a list of children Ukraine says were forcibly moved to Russia and who it wants returned. He also said the delegations agreed to a new prisoner swap, as well as to exchange 6,000 bodies of killed soldiers each.
The talks lasted slightly more than an hour and touched on each country’s 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 warned that Washington could abandon its role as a mediator if there is no progress.
Umerov, who said key issues in the ongoing peace talks “can be resolved only at the level of leaders,” added that Ukraine proposed holding a third meeting later in June. “This is extremely important for making progress in the negotiation process,” he was quoted as saying by Ukrainian state media.
The head of Russia’s delegation, Kremlin aide and former Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, later confirmed that the two sides agreed to a new exchange of prisoners of war. He said Russia and Ukraine would form a regular medical commission that would create a list of prisoners to release, prioritizing those who are seriously injured.
However, Medinsky disputed Ukrainian claims that Russia was involved in the abduction of children, accusing Kyiv of trying to “make a show” out of the issue. According to him, the topic of children formed a “central part” of Monday’s discussions.
Medinsky also said that Russia proposed a ceasefire along “certain parts of the front line” that would last between two and three days, suggesting the pause in fighting would allow the sides to recover the bodies of killed soldiers.
He added that Ukrainian delegates received Moscow’s proposals for a long-term settlement to the war, but he summarized the talks by saying: “Unfortunately, something didn’t work out so well.”
