16.05.2025 16:40
After the peace talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated, "We have agreed on the mutual exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war with Russia." The Russian delegation, on the other hand, said, "We are satisfied with the talks. Russia and Ukraine will present their detailed views on a possible ceasefire, and then the negotiations will continue."
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The delegations from Ukraine and Russia that came to Turkey met today at Dolmabahçe. The US delegation also participated as an observer. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his American counterpart Marco Rubio met with the delegations of the two countries before the meeting.
AGREEMENT REACHED ON PRISONER EXCHANGE Speaking after the peace talks, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated, "(We have) reached an agreement on the exchange of one thousand people for one thousand people with Russia." Umerov also mentioned that they are working on different modalities, saying, "Our colleagues are in contact, and we will exchange all documents. We need to carry out a prisoner exchange now. We will inform you soon about what the next stage will be."
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov (in the center) The Russian delegation also confirmed the prisoner exchange. In a statement from the Russian delegation, it was noted that a ceasefire was also discussed during the meetings in Istanbul. The head of the Russian delegation, Medinskiy, stated, "We are generally satisfied with the results we achieved in the negotiations and are ready to continue contacts. Russia and Ukraine will present their views on a possible ceasefire in detail, and then negotiations will continue." If the exchange takes place, it will be the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war.
Vladimir Medinskiy (in the center), Advisor to the President of Russia and head of the Russian delegation in the negotiations in Istanbul THE FIRST SUMMIT WAS BETWEEN TURKEY, THE US, AND UKRAINE Initially, Turkish, American, and Ukrainian delegations met at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office in Istanbul under the leadership of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The US delegation included the country's Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack, and Keith Kellogg, the Special Representative of the US President Donald Trump for Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation included Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
THE SECOND MEETING LASTED 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES After the conclusion of the Turkey-US-Ukraine summit, the meeting between the delegations of Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine, led by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, also ended. The meeting lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.
STRIKING WORDS FROM MINISTER FIDAN Before the second meeting, Minister Fidan stated in front of the cameras, "We are pleased to see that the strong commitments of all parties to peace have opened a new window of opportunity before us. We find it quite significant that our President and Mr. Trump have been listened to by Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky regarding their calls for peace."
"AT THIS STAGE, TWO PATHS EXIST" Emphasizing that Russia and Ukraine's readiness to start direct talks has made this critical stage possible, Minister Fidan said, "As you can appreciate, at this stage, there are two paths. One of the paths will initiate a process that will lead us to peace, while the other will lead to further destruction and loss of life. The parties will decide for themselves, with their own will, which of these paths they will choose. Since the beginning of the war, we have been making intense efforts on how we can end this war."
"THIS MEETING IS A FIRST SINCE MARCH 2022" Minister Fidan continued, "Our President has also made great efforts to bring the parties together. The visit of Ukrainian President Zelensky to Ankara has been an important step towards initiating negotiations. We are equally pleased to host the Russian delegation participating in the talks. The fact that we are hosting representatives from both sides in Istanbul demonstrates our strong will to end the war. I want to draw your attention to one point. This meeting is the first level of direct contact between the parties since March 2022. We must seize this opportunity to move forward on the path to peace. Every day that is delayed leads to more loss of life.
"TURKEY WILL ALWAYS BE BY YOUR SIDE" As the war continues to claim lives, it is critically important to implement a ceasefire as soon as possible. There is also an opportunity for the ceasefire to be achieved simultaneously with the negotiations. I want to emphasize one issue, one event here. The next stage will be determined collectively based on the preferences we make and the steps we take. It is also very important that these talks form the basis of a leaders' meeting. We sincerely believe that it is possible to reach peace through constructive negotiation. I want to emphasize once again; Turkey will always be by your side in our efforts to end the war and achieve peace. We are also ready to provide any possible contribution to peace. I once again welcome you all to Istanbul and wish success to the parties in the technical negotiations to be held.
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