President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that negotiations for a further prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia are ongoing. The head of state reported this in his evening address, noting that the Ukrainian side is actively working on implementing the agreements reached earlier during the Istanbul meeting.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine Prepares for the Next Stage of Prisoner Exchange
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, the team of Ukrainian negotiators is focused on preparing for another exchange. The President emphasized that the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, has already informed him about the proposal to the Russian side to hold a new meeting next week. It is expected that this will help accelerate the negotiation process and bring Ukrainian citizens home sooner.
“We continue to fulfill the agreements from the last meeting in Istanbul. The team is now working on another exchange.”
Priority — Ceasefire and Return of Ukrainians
The President expressed confidence that the negotiating dynamics need to be strengthened to achieve a real ceasefire. Zelensky stressed the necessity of ending the Russian side’s evasion of important decisions, particularly regarding prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian children, and the cessation of violence.
Additionally, the head of state called for organizing a high-level meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to ensure lasting peace. The Ukrainian side, according to the President, is ready for such dialogue.
The last exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia took place on July 4. The day before, on June 2, delegations from both countries agreed on a new approach to the exchange in Istanbul, focusing on specific categories of prisoners. In particular, this involves the exchange of severely wounded and critically ill soldiers on the principle of “all for all,” as well as young soldiers aged 18 to 25. An agreement was separately reached regarding the return of 6,000 bodies of fallen fighters.
