Russian aircraft carrying the Russian delegation takes off from Istanbul's airport.
A plane whisked away the Russian delegation from Istanbul, marking the end of the second round of negotiations regarding Ukraine's settlement, according to TASS' reports.
Leading the Russian contingent, Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor to the President, shared his thoughts with the press earlier, stating that Russia had proposed a temporary truce on certain battlefronts for the evacuation of fallen soldiers' remains, and submitted a draft for a ceasefire. In contrast, the Ukrainian side presented a list of children they wanted to bring back to Russia.
Sources close to the Russian delegation revealed that Medinsky held a pre-talk meeting with Umerov before the negotiations commenced. Furthermore, the Russian delegation head casually dropped a few bombshells, such as the planned transfer of 6,000 corpses of deceased Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv and the prospect of the largest prisoner exchange yet, involving potentially 1,200 people.
Ukraine suggested a new discussion between June 20 and 30, as reported by Umerov. The city of Istanbul played host to the second round of talks between Moscow and Kyiv on June 2, which lasted a little over an hour.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deemed the talks "outstanding," while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the delegations only shared perspectives and began planning for the next prisoner exchange.
A Closer Look
The discussions between Ukraine and Russia resulted in some advancements on specific issues, but a comprehensive peace agreement still remains just out of reach. Here's a summary of the key points:
- Prisoner Swap: Both countries agreed upon a new prisoner swap, focusing on soldiers under the age of 25 and the severely ill.
- Ceasefire Conditions: Russia reiterated that it will only consider a ceasefire under the condition that Ukraine halts its mobilization and stops accepting foreign military aid. Russia's demands also include Ukraine's withdrawal of military forces from the territories it claims to have annexed: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
- Future Meetings: No specific announcements have been made about the future meeting's dates. Russia has stated that it will only reveal its demands when talks are resumed.
Fierce Disputes
- NATO Expansion: Russia is demanding a written pledge from Western leaders to halt further expansion of NATO, which is part of its broader demands that Ukraine pledges to neutrality and unites with NATO.
- Peace Memorandum: Russia has yet to submit its peace memorandum to Ukraine, Turkey, or the United States, despite ongoing discussions.
War-and-conflicts persist as Russia and Ukraine continue their negotiations, recently held in Istanbul, with a focus on prisoner swaps, ceasefire conditions, and future meetings. Politics play a significant role, with both nations holding strong positions, such as Russia's demand for a written commitment from Western leaders to halt NATO expansion and Ukraine's lack of a submitted peace memorandum. General news outlets are closely monitoring the situation for further updates and developments in this ongoing war-and-conflicts scenario.
