Russia, Ukraine meet for first direct talks since 2022
Two sides agree on POW swap, discuss cease-fire
The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow’s 2022 military operation ended Friday after less than two hours with the two sides agreeing on prisoner swap, cease-fire, and meeting between the two countries’ leaders.
Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s delegation at Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, said on Friday after the negotiations that Moscow was satisfied with the results and was ready to keep talking to Kiev.
Medinsky said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in the coming days, one of the largest such swap since the beginning of the conflict.
“The Ukrainian side requested direct talks between the leaders of the states. We have taken note of this request,” Medinsky added.
“We have agreed that each side will present its vision of a possible future cease-fire and spell it out in detail. After such a vision has been presented, we believe it would be appropriate, as also agreed, to continue our negotiations.”
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, confirmed the swap in a separate statement and said a cease-fire and a possible Zelensky-Putin meeting had been discussed.
Thousands of prisoners have been released in a series of exchanges between Kiev and Moscow since 2022.
During the talks, a senior Ukrainian official said Russia introduced new “unacceptable demands” to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make official statements.
He said the Ukrainian side reiterated it remained focused on achieving real progress — an immediate cease-fire and a pathway to substantive diplomacy, “just like the US, European partners, and other countries proposed,” the official added.
The two sides sat at a U-shaped table but remained far apart in their conditions for ending the war.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had opened the session by urging the parties “to take advantage of this opportunity,” adding that it was “critically important that the cease-fire happens as soon as possible.”
Both countries engaged in diplomatic maneuvering this week as they tried to show that they are eager to negotiate.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of not making a serious effort to end the war by sending a low-level delegation.
Ukraine has accepted a US and European proposal for a full, 30-day cease-fire, but Putin has effectively rejected it by imposing far-reaching conditions.
Russia’s attacks have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, the UN says, and razed towns and villages. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died, and likely a larger number of Russian troops, officials and analysts say.