Second Round of Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks in Istanbul Yield Prisoner Swap, No Ceasefire
Despite heightened tensions on the eve of the talks, Ukraine and Russia concluded their second round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2 without reaching a ceasefire agreement. However, an extensive prisoner exchange was agreed upon. The negotiations, mediated by Türkiye, focused on three key points: a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, and the potential for a presidential-level meeting. Despite the progress on the prisoner exchange, the prospects for a ceasefire remain uncertain.
Background and Context
The Istanbul talks followed the first round of negotiations in May. The initial meeting yielded the war's largest prisoner exchange but failed to make significant headway towards a peace settlement. On June 2, Ukraine and Russia's delegations arrived in Istanbul for another round of talks, with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov leading Ukraine's 14-member delegation.
Reportedly, Ukraine aimed to present a detailed roadmap for securing a lasting peace deal, beginning with a minimum 30-day ceasefire, a full prisoner exchange, and the return of Ukrainian children held in Russian-controlled areas.
Key Developments
The second round of talks led to an agreement on another significant prisoner exchange. Ukraine aims to return up to 1,200 prisoners of war (POWs) in this exchange, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The exchange will prioritize young people aged 18-25 and those with serious injuries.
Further, the possibility of future swaps involving imprisoned journalists and political prisoners held in Russia was also discussed. Zelensky emphasized the importance of Russia allowing the lists to be checked in advance before the exchange.
However, the talks did not result in any progress towards a ceasefire. According to Defense Minister Umerov, Russia only provided a memorandum of peace proposal during the talks, creating conditions that prevented the meeting from delivering the necessary results to end the war.
Reactions and Implications
Zelensky has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to enforce tougher sanctions against Russia should the peace talks fail to yield results. He also expressed his readiness to participate in a leadership-level summit, potentially involving himself, Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio exchanged views on the situation and plans for the peace talks in a phone call on June 1. Rubio reiterated Trump's call for direct talks to achieve a lasting peace.
Current Status
The talks concluded without reaching a ceasefire agreement, a major point of contention between the two nations. However, the agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange was seen as a positive outcome. The exact date for the prisoner swap has not yet been announced.
As the situation continues to develop, global attention remains focused on the ongoing conflict and the outcomes of these peace talks.