Russia and Ukraine Agree to Swap 1,000 Prisoners Each
- On Friday in Istanbul, Russia and Ukraine conducted their first direct peace talks in over three years, agreeing to swap 1,000 prisoners from each side within the next few days.
- The talks took place following several years of conflict and were driven by continuous calls for a ceasefire and peace discussions, although they did not result in an agreement to halt fighting.
- Negotiations lasted about two hours at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace and included discussions on ceasefire conditions and a possible meeting between the two leaders.
- Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said they discussed “all modalities” of a truce, while Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner swap a “confidence-building measure.”
- Although the prisoner exchange marks the largest swap so far, the failure to agree on a ceasefire reflects the deep divisions, with both sides promising to outline ceasefire proposals and continue talks.
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64 Articles
Russia and Ukraine agree to swap 1,000 prisoners each
The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years has yielded a deal to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each soon and to resume talks after each side had set out its vision for a future ceasefire. Story by Charlotte Hughes and Catherine Viette.
Istanbul - Direct Talks Between Ukraine and Russia Concluded - Prisoner Exchange Agreed
The negotiations between representatives of Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have been concluded. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the talks between the two delegations had taken about an hour and a half. Ukrainian delegation head Umerov said that both sides had agreed to exchange approximately 1,000 prisoners of war, and that conditions for a ceasefire had been discussed.

Russia and Ukraine agree to prisoner swap in first direct talks since war, but ceasefire hopes stall
The first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have ended in a commitment to release 1000 prisoners soon, but no agreement on a temporary truce.
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