Foreign Minister says Russia ready to resume talks with Ukraine
Photo: Maria Zakharova, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (Getty Images)
The Russian delegation is ready to arrive in Istanbul, Türkiye, after June 22 to continue negotiations with Ukraine, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports, citing Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"After June 22, our delegation, which was approved by the President's decision (Vladimir Putin - ed.), will be ready to arrive in Istanbul to continue negotiations. Specific dates will be determined shortly and announced by the representatives and the head of the delegation themselves," Zakharova said.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, during the third round of talks, the Russian delegation plans to discuss both the Ukrainian and Russian memorandums containing proposals for resolving the full-scale war.
Ukraine-Russia talks in Türkiye
Ukraine and Russia have already held two rounds of negotiations aimed at ending the full-scale war. During the dialogue, the Kremlin has continued to put forward demands that are unacceptable to Kyiv - such as handing over control of four Ukrainian regions and Crimea to the aggressor state, halting Western arms supplies, declaring neutrality, and more.
At the same time, both sides managed to reach agreements on prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of fallen soldiers.
On June 2, during a meeting of the delegations, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to exchange certain categories of prisoners under the all-for-all formula, as well as to exchange the bodies of fallen soldiers on the battlefield under a 6,000-for-6,000 formula.
A large-scale prisoner exchange began on June 9. On that day, the first group of freed servicemen under the age of 25 returned home.
