On the 23rd local time, Russian presidential aide Mezhinsky stated after the conclusion of the third round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine that both sides are currently exchanging prisoners of war, which is the last batch reached through the second round of negotiations. Russia has returned over 7,000 bodies to Ukraine, and if Ukraine has sufficient refrigeration equipment, Russia will return an additional 3,000 Ukrainian military bodies.
Russia reiterated its suggestion for a 24-48-hour ceasefire at the contact line to allow both sides to collect bodies and withdraw wounded soldiers. Both Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange more than 1,200 people in the near future.
Additionally, Russia suggested establishing three working groups on political, humanitarian, and military issues, with Ukraine committing to considering this proposal.
Mezhinsky mentioned that the two sides spent a long time discussing the memorandum from the previous exchange, but their positions were far apart. However, both sides agreed to continue discussions at the delegation and working group levels.
Mezhinsky stated that only after thorough discussions of the agreement could there be a meeting between the leaders of the two sides. “The leaders’ meeting is to sign off on the agreement, not to discuss details now,” said Mezhinsky.
Ukrainian side: Proposes holding a leaders’ meeting to signal willingness to end the conflict
After the negotiations, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Umanov, proposed holding a leaders’ meeting by the end of August, inviting Turkish President Erdogan and former US President Trump to attend. At the same time, Ukraine has also signaled its willingness to end the conflict, particularly by stopping strikes against key and civilian infrastructure.
Umanov pointed out that besides promoting a ceasefire, another important topic of discussion is further exchange of prisoners of war and related personnel. In terms of prisoner exchanges, Russia agrees to return prisoners held for more than three years, especially those seriously injured and young people, with Ukraine and Russia planning to conduct a humanitarian exchange involving more than 1,200 individuals. (CCTV Wang Bin, Dong Wei, Wang Xinjun)