The latest round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev was accompanied by a major new prisoner swap
The third round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul has ended. The delegations met at the Ciragan Palace on the European side of the Bosporus.
The talks follow two rounds of direct negotiations held in Istanbul earlier this year. The negotiations have focused primarily on various humanitarian issues, including the exchange of the remains of fallen soldiers and prisoner swaps. The two sides have also exchanged draft memorandums outlining their vision of a peace settlement.
The Russian delegation is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led the previous negotiations with Ukraine. Kiev has also fielded the same team as before, which is headed by now-former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was appointed head of the country’s Security Council during a major government reshuffle last week.
The new round of negotiations is expected to “mainly focus on issues related to those draft memorandums that were exchanged during the second round, and also a discussion on the continuation of a very important process of mutual [POW] exchanges,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier in the day, cautioning against making any predictions.
“It’s hardly possible to talk about this now. We need to see how it goes,” Peskov told reporters. “No one expects an easy path. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The draft proposals are diametrically opposed.”
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