Without ceasefire, Ukraine and Russia get prisoners’ exchange

Kiev and Moscow, however, agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war, the heads of both delegations said, which would be the biggest exchange of this kind since the beginning of the conflict.

Ukrainians dissatisfied

Moscow’s position was strongly criticized by the Ukrainians. Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgi Tykhy said after conversations in Istanbul that “if you want serious negotiations, you need to silence weapons.”

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski said he discussed the negotiations the leaders of the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland. During a meeting with European leaders in Albania, he asked for “severe sanctions” against Moscow if Kremlin rejects “a total and unconditional ceasefire and the end of the murders.”

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umarov, the leader of his country’s delegation in Turkey, said the two sides discussed, besides the ceasefire, a future meeting between leaders from both countries.

“We understand that if we want to progress, we need to have this leaders meeting,” said Tykhy, who evaluates prisoners’ exchange as a “great result.” The spokesman, however, said Russia has presented a series of “unacceptable demands” without specifying what this requirements would be.