Ukraine and Russia conclude talks in Istanbul, agree on prisoner exchange

2025-06-02 16:17:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russia and Ukraine have concluded the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, which lasted almost an hour, a day after massive Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bombers.

The talks - the second direct ones between the two sides since 2022 - began on Monday with a two-hour delay, but the reason is unknown.

The mood in Russia has been gloomy at the start of the talks, as influential Russian bloggers on war issues have called on Moscow to retaliate against Kiev, following the attacks launched by Ukraine the day before.

Ukraine and Russia have described the damage caused by the Ukrainian attack differently, but it is clear from the footage that Moscow has faced significant damage to equipment.

"The eyes of the whole world are focused on the contacts here," said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, referring to the Russian and Ukrainian delegations as they sat across from each other in a palace near the Bosphorus.

He said the purpose of the meeting was to assess the conditions for a ceasefire, discuss a possible meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, and to see what the possibilities are for a prisoner exchange.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking from Lithuania, said the two sides are preparing for a new exchange of prisoners of war.

According to Ukrainian officials, the focus will be on releasing prisoners who are under 25 years old and seriously ill.

Zelensky's chief of staff said the Ukrainian delegation has submitted a list of names of children deported to Russia, and wants them to return to their homes in Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials repeatedly state that hundreds of children have been removed from Ukrainian territory, and they insist that their return be part of the peace agreement.

Moscow, on the other hand, claims that the children were moved to protect them from the fighting.

The US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on June 1 to discuss Monday's talks.

According to the State Department, the call took place at Russia's request, and Rubio reiterated President Donald Trump's call for continued direct talks to "achieve a lasting peace."

Ahead of the talks, Ukraine appeared to strengthen its negotiating position after its forces shot down several bomber aircraft over Russia, with drones that were smuggled into the country via trucks and then launched from nearby locations.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said at least 40 bombers may have been hit during the June 1 attack, described as an "absolutely brilliant result" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who added that over a year and a half had been spent preparing the operation.

Ukraine agreed in April to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US, but Russia has not shown any willingness to sign it, and many of Ukraine's allies have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to drag out the process in order to exploit the current situation on the battlefield, where Russia has advanced into territories it aims to keep occupied./ REL