Ukraine has proposed holding a leaders’ summit with Russia before the end of August in a bid to end the war, Ukrainian delegation head and Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Rustem Umerov, announced following direct peace talks in Istanbul.
“The top priority is to organise a meeting of the presidents,” Umerov said. “The participation of US President Trump and Turkish President Erdoğan would be highly valuable. A genuine ceasefire and a halt to all attacks on civilian infrastructure could be the first steps towards lasting peace.”
Umerov stressed that Ukraine insists on a full and unconditional ceasefire as the essential foundation for effective diplomacy and is ready to begin a ceasefire and substantive peace negotiations immediately.
“By accepting this proposal, Russia can demonstrate a constructive approach to the international community and our partners,” he added.
However, Russia's Medinsky denied this offer by saying a Putin-Zelensky meeting would only be considered to formalize outcomes, not to hold talks.
“For this meeting to happen we need to work out the deal conditions first and to understand what will be actually discussed at this meeting," said Medinsky.
"Actually this meeting is not for discussing a deal but for wrapping it up, signing the final agreement. As the saying goes, “The end crowns the work”. There is no point in them meeting to discuss all of this all over again,” he added.
Prisoners of War and Child Repatriation
At the press briefing, Yurii Kovbasa, a representative of Ukraine’s Ombudsman’s Office, highlighted the issue of prisoners of war who have been held by Russia for over three years.
“We drew the Russian side’s attention to this matter,” Kovbasa said. “They have agreed to work on their return.”
Ukraine also reiterated its stance on abducted civilians and children. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya emphasised.
“We do not exchange children; we do not exchange civilians. They must be returned unconditionally.”
However, they agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war from each side. Russia also confirmed its readiness to return the bodies of 3,000 more fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says more than a thousand Ukrainian POWs were brought home Wednesday after a previous agreement on 2 June. Many of them were seriously wounded and some were held for more than three years. He stressed the importance of ongoing exchanges and reiterated Ukraine’s call for peace.
Russia also received a group of prisoners of war from Ukraine in Belarus. The Russian Defence Ministry published a video on Wednesday showing soldiers cheering as they boarded buses headed for home.
First Face-to-Face Talks in more than Seven Weeks
The Istanbul meeting marked the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in more than seven weeks. The session lasted approximately 40 minutes.
The diplomatic push comes amid increasing international pressure, notably from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has warned of new sanctions on Russia and its trade partners if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days.
However, financial markets remain sceptical about an imminent breakthrough.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed that Kyiv’s key demands are the return of prisoners of war, the repatriation of abducted children, and preparations for a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin has so far refused to meet Zelenskyy personally, citing Ukraine’s failure to hold elections under martial law as grounds for not recognising him as the legitimate leader.
Russia also denies allegations of abducting children.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Was...
Georgia is positioning itself as a future energy bridge between the Caspian and Europe, backed by major infrastruc...
Uzbekistan’s Department for Combating Economic Crimes says it has uncovered a ...
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as...
Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s southern ports could trigger a n...
Georgia is positioning itself as a future energy bridge between the Caspian and Europe, backed by major infrastructure plans and growing EU support. But behind the ambitious pitch lies a far more complicated political reality.
Uzbekistan’s Department for Combating Economic Crimes says it has uncovered a large-scale fraud and corruption scheme linked to labour migration to South Korea, with estimated damages reaching $90 million.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s southern ports could trigger a new global financial crisis as the Tehran-Washington standoff around the strategic Strait of Hormuz persists.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Thousands of fans turned out in Iran's capital Tehran for a massive farewell ceremony on Wednesday night for their national football team, wishing them success before their departure for the World Cup 2026 matches co-hosted by the United States and Mexico.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy facilities in recent months, amid stalled progress in peace negotiations. The strikes have targeted refineries, processing plants, pipelines and export infrastructure, causing repeated disruptions across Russia’s energy sector.
Negotiations between Samsung Electronics and its workforce on Wednesday have broken down, officials said, raising fresh concerns over potential disruption to South Korea’s export-heavy economy.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
Deep in the ancient forests of southern China, researchers have discovered a small, shy snake with an extraordinary survival trick: when threatened, it creates the illusion that it has two heads.
Egyptian authorities have unveiled two restored ancient tombs in Luxor alongside a rare artefact linked to King Tutankhamun, offering visitors new insight into life and burial practices during the New Kingdom more than 3,000 years ago.
A U.S. Department of Justice official said Washington was preparing to indict former Cuban president Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of aircraft operated by "Brothers to the Rescue", a Miami-based exile group that conducted search-and-rescue flights for Cuban migrants.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment