Ukraine's top priority in the negotiations with Russia was people, and that is why the Ukrainian delegation talked about a 1,000-for-1,000 exchange of prisoners. This goal has been achieved, said the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, at a briefing.
The second goal was to discuss a ceasefire. Modalities have been exchanged, and the teams will work on the details.
‘The third priority is that our president expected high-level discussions. So I think our next step will be a further meeting of the leaders at the highest level,’ he said.
First Deputy Foreign Minister Kyslytsya said that only the Russian president can have the final say in resolving issues, so Ukraine hopes for talks at the level of the two leaders.
Vadym Skibitskyy, a representative of the Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, said that the lists of those who will return home will be prepared for the 1000-for-1000 exchange starting today. Ukraine will do everything to ensure that everyone returns.
Talks in Istanbul: what we know so far
Today, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for the first time since the spring of 2022. The talks were mediated by Turkey, although Russia, according to various media reports, demanded that only Ukraine be present. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. The negotiators included 11 other people, including First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya and a representative of the Defence Ministry's Defence Intelligence Service, Vadym Skibitskyy.
Russia sent much lower-level people to the talks. The delegation was headed by Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky, and included Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the General Staff Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin. In addition to them, Moscow sent more ‘experts’.
Before the dates for the talks were set, the Ukrainian delegation held two more meetings: with the US Secretary of State and the Turkish Foreign Minister, as well as with US Representative Keith Kellogg and advisers to the French President, German Chancellor and the Prime Ministers of Poland and the UK.
Russian chief delegate Medinsky met with the US representative.
The meeting between Ukraine, Russia and Turkey started an hour later than the announced time, at around 13:45. It lasted less than two hours. The media reported conflicting information about the end of the meeting: some said it had come to an end, others that the delegations had paused. Also, according to media reports, Russia put forward completely unacceptable demands for a ceasefire - that Ukraine withdraw its troops from its own territory.