Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement on a new prisoner swap and the return of thousands of fallen soldiers. This development came during direct talks held in Istanbul, although the two sides made little progress toward ending the ongoing conflict.
The meeting took place at the historic Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, where officials confirmed plans to exchange prisoners of war and the remains of 6,000 soldiers lost in combat. Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, announced that both sides agreed to swap all severely wounded soldiers and all captured fighters aged 25 and under. He stated, “We agreed to exchange all-for-all seriously wounded and seriously sick prisoners of war.”
Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, mentioned that the swap would involve “at least 1,000” prisoners on each side, surpassing a previous agreement made last month for a 1,000-for-1,000 exchange. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking from Vilnius, Lithuania, said documents were exchanged through Turkey and that preparations were underway for the next group of captives to be released.
Despite the progress on prisoner exchanges, hopes for a ceasefire remain distant. Both sides are sharply divided on the issue. Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergiy Kyslytsya, noted that Russia rejected calls for an unconditional ceasefire. Instead, Russia proposed a limited pause in fighting to recover the bodies of fallen soldiers.
During the negotiations, Russia presented a memorandum outlining its conditions for ending hostilities. The Ukrainian delegation plans to review the document before responding. Among Russia’s demands are the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions it annexed in September 2022, the halting of Ukraine’s military mobilization, and a freeze on Western arms shipments. Russia is also asking for Ukraine to end martial law and hold elections, which would lead to a peace treaty recognizing Russian as an official language alongside Ukrainian.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the talks “magnificent” and expressed his desire for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy in Turkey. However, many remain skeptical about the potential for a breakthrough. Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko expressed doubt, citing Russia’s reluctance to end the war after previous ceasefire proposals were rejected.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified its military operations, claiming responsibility for drone attacks that targeted Russian airbases far from the front lines. These strikes reportedly damaged or destroyed over 40 Russian warplanes, marking a significant escalation in Ukraine’s military efforts.
In response to the talks, Zelenskyy warned that failure to achieve results could lead to new sanctions against Russia. He emphasized the need for Russia to feel the consequences of its actions to encourage a return to diplomacy.
As the situation develops, both sides remain entrenched in their positions, with the prospect of a lasting peace still uncertain.