Istanbul (Reuters)-Russian authorities in peace negotiations in Istanbul required Ukraine to remove their troops from all Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow before agreeing with a ceasefire, Reuters told Ukrainian authority familiar with negotiations.
Kremlin refused to comment on the terms Russia presented at Friday’s meeting in Turkey-the first time the sides at war had had conversations face to face since March 2022, weeks after the large-scale invasion of Russia.
The conversations lasted only an hour and 40 minutes and resulted in an agreement for the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war on each side. The two countries did not specify when this would happen.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked for stronger sanctions against Moscow after a Russian drone killed nine bus passengers in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine.
“It was a deliberate murder of civilians,” he said. “It is necessary to exercise pressure on Russia so that it will stop the deaths. With no harder sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy.”
Russia, which denies having civilians as a target, said it reached a military target in Sumy. His Ministry of Defense said the Russian troops captured another settlement in eastern Ukraine.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by telephone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and greeted the “positive role” of the United States to help ensure the resumption of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
“Lavrov confirmed Moscow’s willingness to continue the joint work with the US pairs in this context,” said Russia’s Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
Ukraine and Western governments, including the US, required Russia to agree with an immediate and unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days.
