Russia and Ukraine agreed, in the two previous meetings, also held in Istanbul, to exchange prisoners and bodies of dead soldiers. In these negotiations, Ukraine demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire of 30 days, which Russia rejected.
The Ukrainian President said Monday that next peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev are scheduled for Wednesday in Turkey, after two previous sessions with few results to end the war.
“I argued with Ukraine Security Council secretary Rustem Umarov, the preparation of an exchange and a new meeting in Turkey with the Russian part. Umarov said the meeting was scheduled for Wednesday,” said Volodymyr Zelensky, in a daily speech published on social networks.
Umarov was, until last week, Minister of Defense and headed the Ukrainian delegation in the first two rounds of contacts held in Istanbul in recent weeks and is currently secretary of the Ukraine Security and National Defense Council.
“We are in favor of holding a third round [após duas reuniões mal sucedidas em Istambul, realizadas em maio e junho]”Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov advanced.
On Saturday, Zelensky proposed Moscow to schedule new peace talks this week, as the situation is currently in a impasse. About the content of negotiations, Peskov recalled that the parties exchanged memos about the vision for conflict resolution and intend to discuss them, but stressed that the two documents are “diametrically opposite.”
