ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s delegation at Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, said on Friday after the negotiations that Moscow was satisfied with the results and was ready to keep talking to Kyiv.
Medinsky said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each in the coming days, one of the largest such swap since the beginning of the conflict.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were in Istanbul on Friday for their first direct peace talks in more than three years, under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.
“In general, we are satisfied with the result and are ready to continue contacts. In the coming days, there will be a massive thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange,” said Medinsky.
“The Ukrainian side requested direct talks between the leaders of the states. We have taken note of this request,” he added.
“We have agreed that each side will present its vision of a possible future ceasefire and spell it out in detail. After such a vision has been presented, we believe it would be appropriate, as also agreed, to continue our negotiations.”
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Anastasia TeterevlevaEditing by Andrew Osborn)
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