Ukraine and Russia discuss prisoner swap amid stalled talks
Ukraine and Russia have reached an agreement to meet again, according to the head of Turkish diplomacy. Hakan Fidan also highlighted that the delegations have agreed on an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side and to prepare written conditions for a ceasefire.
The talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul concluded on Friday after just under two hours, reported Reuters, citing sources.
"Today is an important day for peace in the world. As a result of intense diplomatic efforts, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul," Fidan wrote on the X platform.
"An agreement was reached during the meeting regarding the exchange of a thousand people from each country. This is meant to be a trust-building measure," he noted.
"They also agreed to present the conditions in writing to the other side that would enable a ceasefire. The parties also reached a preliminary agreement on another meeting. As Turkey, we will continue to make every effort to enable a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine," added the head of Turkish diplomacy.
World leaders comment on the talks in Istanbul
The Prime Ministers of Poland and the United Kingdom - Donald Tusk and Keir Starmer, the Presidents of France and Ukraine - Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky, and the Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz spoke by phone with the US President Donald Trump.
"The Russian position is clearly unacceptable, and not for the first time," pointed out Starmer.
"Together with Volodymyr Zelensky, we agree that Russia had a good opportunity to conduct preliminary talks this week regarding a peace agreement with an earlier agreement on a ceasefire. We are very disappointed that this did not happen," Friedrich Merz conveyed on the X platform.
"Russia is showing that it does not want peace and is trying to gain time by continuing the war," Macron wrote. The French president also promised a "coordinated response" with France's "European partners."
Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is prepared to take the swiftest possible steps to achieve genuine peace, urging the international community to adopt a firm stance. He stated that if Russia refuses a full and unconditional ceasefire and continues its acts of violence, severe sanctions should be imposed. Zelensky underscored that pressure on Russia must be sustained until it is willing to bring the war to an end.
