Russia, Ukraine Agree to Swap 1000 POWs as Peace Talks Stall in Istanbul

Istanbul: After the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, both the countries have agreed to exchange 1000 prisoners of war. This will be the biggest exchange of prisoners of war since the war started in 2022. After the peace talks, the head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky gave this information. He said that Moscow and Kiev have agreed to give each other detailed proposals for a ceasefire. Medinsky said that Ukraine has requested a meeting between the heads of state and Russia will consider it. He also said that Russia is ready to continue the talks.

On Friday, representatives of Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, Turkey for peace talks. This is the first direct talks between the two countries since the war began in February 2022. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defense Minister Rustam Umarov, while the Russian team was led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin. The officials present sat around a U-shaped table, with Russians and Ukrainians facing each other.

Ukraine accuses Russia

However, the talks did not yield any meaningful results other than the exchange of prisoners of war and the talks ended in less than two hours. A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of making 'unacceptable demands' during the ongoing peace talks here, which were not discussed earlier. The official said that these demands also include asking Ukrainian forces to withdraw from a large area under its control, so that a complete ceasefire can be implemented. Turkey's Foreign Ministry also said in a statement that the meeting has ended.

Trump will meet Putin

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is moving towards direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon. Trump, who is on a four-day tour of West Asia, told reporters, "I think the time has come for us to do this." After boarding Air Force One to return to the US, Trump said that he may soon talk to Putin. Trump said, "He and I will meet and I think we will solve it... maybe not." The US President said, "At least we will know. And if we cannot solve it, it doesn't matter either."