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After the second round of talks in Istanbul, Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement in principle on the exchange of prisoners of war under the “all for all” formula in two categories: seriously wounded and seriously ill soldiers, as well as young soldiers aged 18 to 25.
This was stated by the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Rustem Umerov during a briefing on 2 June.
“We insist on the release of all prisoners and the return of abducted children. But for now, we are focusing not on numbers, but on specific categories,” Umerov said.
What was agreed:
- Exchange of all seriously wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war.
- Exchange of all military personnel aged 18-25.
- Return of the bodies of the dead: 6,000 to 6,000.
Proposal for a meeting of leaders
The minister also said that Ukraine has proposed a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders between 20 and 30 June, with the possible involvement of international mediators, including the US president.
“We are convinced that only leaders are able to make key decisions. Further work of the delegations makes sense only to prepare for such a meeting,” Umerov stressed.
