No peace talks before prisoner swaps complete - Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
As long as the parties have not completed the exchanges agreed upon during the second meeting in Istanbul, it is too early to speak of full-fledged negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a conversation with Ukrainian and international media representatives.
Zelenskyy agreed that if the goal is a serious outcome and an end to the war, then a meeting at the level of national leaders must be prepared.
"As I said before, we are ready for any format. Without a doubt, Ukraine, Russia, and the United States at the leadership level is the preferred format. It could involve not only words and guarantees at the negotiating table," he added.
At the same time, the president noted that he cannot say for certain how things will actually unfold.
"As for the platform, I am grateful to the Italian side, the Vatican… I am very glad that the Vatican is open. We also have proposals from Austria, Switzerland, and direct proposals from the Turkish side," Zelenskyy said.
At this point, he noted that despite all the proposals, it is still too early to talk about the next round of negotiations.
"We must complete the outcome agreed upon at the second meeting — specifically, to finish the exchanges that were negotiated during the second meeting in Istanbul. And I believe that the relevant steps will be taken in the near future. Only after that can the teams begin discussing the preparation of a meeting at the leadership level. Something like that," the Ukrainian president explained.
Prisoner exchange
On Friday, July 4, Ukraine and Russia carried out another stage of their prisoner exchange. This was the eighth exchange within the framework of the June agreements reached in Istanbul.
Notably, during the latest large-scale exchange, in addition to military personnel, Ukraine managed to return a special category of civilians.
The previous stage of the exchange took place on Thursday, June 26. During that round, servicemen were returned from captivity, including those from:
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the Navy,
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Ground and Air Assault Forces,
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Territorial Defense Forces,
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the National Guard,
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and the State Border Guard Service.
As with previous stages, the exact number of people released has not been disclosed.
More details about the last exchange can be found in the RBC-Ukraine report: From captivity to freedom: Inside the latest prisoner exchange.
