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.
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