Russia and Ukraine announced on Monday that they had reached an agreement during peace talks in Istanbul to carry out another exchange of prisoners of war and to repatriate the bodies of 12,000 fallen soldiers.
The two sides met for less than an hour in the Turkish city, marking only the second formal round of negotiations since the conflict began in March 2022.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the meeting as significant and expressed hope to facilitate a summit in Turkey between Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, no progress was made on a ceasefire proposal, which Ukraine, its European allies, and the United States have strongly advocated for.
Moscow insists on a long-term peace agreement rather than a temporary halt to fighting, while Kyiv argues that Putin has no genuine interest in peace.
Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who leads the Russian negotiation team, revealed that Russian officials presented a detailed memorandum outlining Moscow’s conditions for a complete ceasefire.
Medinsky also mentioned a proposal for a limited ceasefire lasting two to three days in select front-line areas to facilitate the recovery of fallen soldiers’ bodies.
Both parties agreed to exchange the bodies of 6,000 soldiers each.
Additionally, the sides agreed to proceed with a significant prisoner swap, following a previous exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side conducted after talks in Istanbul on May 15.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, head of Kyiv’s delegation, stated that the upcoming prisoner exchange would prioritize those severely wounded and young captives.
Umerov further noted that Russia had presented a draft peace agreement to Ukraine, which Kyiv would review alongside its own proposed document.
Ukraine has suggested holding further talks before the end of June but believes that a direct meeting between Zelenskiy and Putin is essential to resolve key disputes, according to Umerov.
Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Kyiv requested the return of a list of children allegedly deported to Russia. Moscow denies forcible deportations, claiming the children were relocated for their protection and stated there were 339 names on Ukraine’s list.
The talks followed a major Ukrainian drone strike targeting Russian nuclear-capable bombers in Siberia and other locations, sparking calls from Russian war bloggers for a harsh response.
Although both Russia and Ukraine are interested in keeping Trump involved in the peace process for their respective reasons, expectations for a major breakthrough in Istanbul were low.
Ukraine views Russia’s demands as an attempt to force its surrender, which Kyiv rejects. Meanwhile, Moscow, having made its fastest battlefield advances in six months during May, demands Kyiv accept peace on Russian terms or risk further territorial losses.
Putin outlined his conditions for an immediate war end last June: Ukraine must abandon its NATO membership ambitions and withdraw troops from four regions currently claimed and largely controlled by Russia.
Ukraine’s proposed peace roadmap, seen by Reuters, calls for no limitations on its military capabilities post-agreement, refusal to recognize Russian sovereignty over occupied territories, and demands reparations.
Russia currently controls roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, approximately 113,100 square kilometers—similar in size to the U.S. state of Ohio.
The conflict began when Putin launched a military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, following eight years of clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The United States, which provided Ukraine with advanced weaponry under President Joe Biden, estimates that more than 1.2 million people have been killed or injured since the war started.
While Trump has publicly criticized both Putin and Zelenskiy, he maintains that peace is achievable and has warned that if Putin delays negotiations, the U.S. could impose harsher sanctions on Russia.
