Prisoner swap deal emerges from Russia-Ukraine Istanbul talks

Shafaq News/ Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have concluded their first round of direct talks since the outbreak of war in February 2022.

Delegations from the United States and Turkiye joined the session held in Istanbul, which concluded with a preliminary agreement on a prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees from each side.

Preceding the session, a trilateral closed-door meeting between the American, Ukrainian, and Turkish delegations was conducted.

A Ukrainian official told AFP that the Russian delegation put forward “unacceptable demands,” including calls for additional territorial concessions as a precondition for a ceasefire—demands that, according to the official, went beyond anything discussed before the meeting.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned against expecting dramatic results, emphasizing that at this point, “it’s increasingly clear that the only real breakthrough will come directly between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin.”

Trump later expressed readiness to meet with his Russian counterpart “as soon as arrangements are made.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed Ukraine’s participation but criticized Russia for sending a “low-level delegation,” calling it a “strategic mistake.”

While the Istanbul round did not produce a comprehensive roadmap to peace, the direct engagement after over three years of war was widely viewed as a symbolic but necessary step toward potential de-escalation.