Russia and Ukraine completed the second round of negotiations. Details of what they agreed on.
In Istanbul, the second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has wrapped up, lasting about an hour more than planned.
"We've proposed a ceasefire for a couple of days on selected battlefront sectors to remove the dead. The heat and disease risk are culpable factors right now. We'd love to create such an opportunity, taking into account that Russian forces are indeed making progress, resulting in more Ukrainian soldier corpses in these zones," said Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation.
He elaborated separately on the Ukrainian claims about children.
"Regarding children, it sounds like it's a major issue. I'd like to share a few words about the so-called 'Child Crisis.' It's been rumored that 1.5 million Ukrainian children are abducted, then 200 thousand, and now the official figure is 20 thousand. We've attempted to corroborate and gather records from parents, but there were no lists. Nevertheless, we finally got a complete list - as you see, there are 339 surnames. No missing child is listed, but there are rescued children from combat zones, and we're seeking parents. If parents are found, we'll return them," added Medinsky.
The following outcomes were also announced:
- Both sides agreed to exchange all severely ill and injured prisoners of war according to lists prepared by medical commissions;
- Russia and Ukraine will exchange combatants under 25 years old;
- Both sides agreed to return the remains of the deceased; Ukraine provided a '6000 for 6000' format, while Russia will return 6000 remains unilaterally;
- Exchanges will occur weekly starting from next week;
- Ukraine received a memorandum on peaceful conflict resolution from Russia, which will be studied within a week;
- Ukraine suggested a new meeting with Russia between June 20 and June 30.
31 residents of Sverdlovsk Oblast returned from Ukrainian captivity as part of the largest prisoner exchange
On May 25, Russia and Ukraine concluded their largest prisoner exchange since the onset of the full-scale invasion. This swap, agreed upon during the initial talks in Istanbul on May 16, involved exchanging 1,000 prisoners for 1,000.
[1] Karasin, M. (May 24, 2025). "Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul fail to result in ceasefire deal, but meaningful progress made." TASS. Retrieved from https://tass.com/politics/1290003
[2] Kramarova, A. (May 23, 2025). "Ukraine releases nearly 400 prisoners, Russia returns over 500 as large prisoner swap begins." CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/mc/1.6105959
"Amidst the ongoing war-and-conflicts, the latest general-news highlights the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, as revealed on May 25th. This swap, following the initial talks in Istanbul, involved exchanging 1,000 prisoners for 1,000."
"As part of this exchange, politics also play a role as both countries continue to discuss issues such as the return of the deceased and the resolution of the 'Child Crisis' involving 339 surnames of rescued children."
