The Ukrainian and Russian delegations concluded negotiations in Istanbul in less than an hour. According to reports, another prisoner exchange has been agreed upon.
Ukraine retrieves over 1,000 POWs from Russia, Zelenskyy says
Kyiv on Wednesday brought back over 1,000 prisoners of war from Russia, as part of an exchange agreed in Istanbul, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“Seriously ill and severely wounded defenders are returning home,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “For a thousand families, this means the joy of embracing their loved ones again. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to this effort.”
Many of those returned on Wednesday had been imprisoned for over three years, Zelenskyy added, vowing that they will all receive the necessary support and medical assistance.
“Bringing all our people back is a priority for the state. And we will continue doing everything possible to ensure that every one of our people returns from captivity,” the Ukrainian president wrote.
Russia says agreed with Ukraine to swap 1,200 POW each
Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war each during peace talks in Istanbul, a Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said after the talks in Istanbul.
In addition to the POW exchange, Russia also offered to hand Ukraine the bodies of 3,000 killed soldiers, the negotiator added.
“Continuing the exchange of prisoners of war, we have agreed that at least 1,200 additional prisoners of war will be exchanged on both sides in the near future,” Medinsky said at a press conference.
Medinsky also said that Russia offered Ukraine a 24-hour to 48-hour ceasefire.
When asked about Kyiv’s bid for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Medinsky said such a meeting should only be for signing documents and not for holding discussions.
“We discussed at length the positions set out by our sides in the memoranda submitted last time. The positions are quite distant. We agreed to continue contacts,” Medinsky told reporters.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates-third-round-of-talks-ends-in-istanbul/live-73377690