"Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (RNBO), Rustem Umerov, announced that he proposed another meeting with the Russian side next week. The dynamics of the negotiations must be increased. Everything must be done to achieve a ceasefire. And the Russian side must stop avoiding making decisions"
- the Ukrainian president said.
"We are also discussing the prisoner exchange with the Russian side - continuing to implement the agreements from the last meeting in Istanbul. The team is now working on another one"
- Zelenskyy continued, also reiterating his readiness to hold talks with Russia at the highest level.
"Exchange of prisoners. Return of our children. And an end to the killings. We need a meeting at the leadership level to truly secure a lasting peace. As Ukraine - we are ready for such talks"
- Ukraine's head of state added.
Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange bodies and prisoners of war during the second round of negotiations on June 2 in Istanbul. Umerov also stated that further talks with Russia would only make sense if President Zelensky met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The parties, who spoke through the Turkish government, agreed to exchange all seriously ill prisoners of war and those under 25 years of age, as well as an exchange of soldiers' bodies in a formula of 6,000 for 6,000.
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Source: PAP, IAR