Translated with AI
The third round of talks between the delegations of the Russian Federation and Ukraine ended on July 23 in Istanbul. The meeting was held in a closed format in the Ciragan Palace in the Besiktas district. The talks lasted less than an hour. As sources told TASS, there are no plans to continue this round.
The talks began with a brief one-on-one meeting between the heads of delegations – Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was present at the initial stage, delivering a welcoming speech and stating that the main goal of the talks remains a ceasefire that will facilitate a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
After the meeting of the heads of delegations, the parties continued negotiations in an expanded format. During the discussions, as Medinsky reported, agreements were reached on the exchange of 250 prisoners of war from each side. In addition, the Russian side proposed to transfer the bodies of 3,000 dead servicemen to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian delegation, in turn, proposed holding a meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin before the end of August. Umerov stressed that Kyiv is ready for a ceasefire and expects a constructive approach from Moscow.
Medinsky noted that the parties' positions on the content of the memoranda still remain far apart. He also reported that Russia proposed the creation of three separate negotiating groups – military, political and humanitarian – with the possibility of working online.
It should be noted that the previous two rounds of negotiations between the parties took place on May 16 and June 2. During them, the parties agreed to exchange seriously wounded soldiers and the bodies of the dead, and also exchanged memoranda reflecting their approaches to a peaceful settlement.
The decision to hold the next, fourth round of negotiations will be announced after the agreements reached have been implemented.
