After the failure of negotiations with Russia in Istanbul in 2022, Ukraine continued to communicate with the Russian side through secret channels through international intermediaries.
This was stated by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov in an interview with The Washington Post columnist.
He noted that these negotiations have led to concrete results.
‘The secret talks in 2022 included several lines of negotiations through international partners. The result of these efforts was a ‘humanitarian corridor’ that allowed 400,000 people to leave Russian-occupied territory, the exchange of prisoners of war, political prisoners and wounded soldiers, and a grain export agreement that allowed Ukraine to resume supplies via the Black Sea,’ David Ignatius wrote in his column.
Umerov assured that the United States ‘always knew’ about these negotiations, ‘because we have always consulted in every direction.’
US officials also confirmed that secret talks took place in 2022, when Russia publicly threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons.