Russia and Ukraine agree to exchange 1000 prisoners each

Russia and Ukraine have agreed on a massive prisoner exchange in their first direct talks in more than three years. In the coming days, both sides wanted to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, said Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky in Istanbul on Friday. The Ukrainian chief delegate, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, confirmed the planned exchange.

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According to Medinsky, the one-and-a-half-hour talks also covered a possible ceasefire and a possible meeting between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Presidential advisor Medinsky expressed his “satisfaction” with the course of the talks. “Overall, we are satisfied with the results and are ready to continue the contacts,” he told reporters from Russian state television.

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A Ukrainian government representative, on the other hand, had previously criticized the Russian negotiators for making “unacceptable” demands in order to derail the talks. He told the AFP news agency that this included Kiev ceding territories previously controlled by Ukraine before a ceasefire was reached.

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According to Medinsky, the Ukrainian side called for direct talks between Zelensky and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin at the meeting. "We have taken note of this request," he said. It had also been agreed that both sides should present their ideas on "a possible future ceasefire". Once this had been done, the negotiations could be continued.

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Zelensky had criticized the composition of the Russian delegation in advance as being too low-ranking. He accused Moscow of "unfortunately not taking the talks on a ceasefire in the Russian war of aggression, which has been going on for more than three and a half years, seriously enough". Putin had proposed the talks in Istanbul himself, but had not traveled there for them.