Russia and Ukraine Just Agreed on Prisoner of War Exchange

ISTANBUL, FRIDAY – The peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, have yet to reach a breakthrough regarding a ceasefire, Friday (16/5/2025). The first direct negotiations in three years of the Russia-Ukraine war lasted only about 90 minutes. Both countries only agreed on the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war.

Ukraine has urged Western allies to continue pressuring Russia to negotiate and agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Russian military positions are advancing on Ukraine's eastern front. Al Jazeera reported Thursday that Russian positions had captured the Kotlyarivka settlement southwest of Pokrovsk.

The Russian ethnic group constitutes the majority of the population in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Eastern Ukraine, which are now largely controlled by the Russian military. This area serves as the border between Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk is a central region that divides the two parts of Ukraine, which are separated by the Dnipro River.

The meeting in Turkey on Friday took place at the urging of United States President Donald Trump for the war to end promptly, in accordance with the presidential campaign promise he made last year during the US elections. On the other hand, the US also secured an economic agreement in the form of strategic mining concession rights from Ukraine, as well as Ukraine's obligation to repay the military aid provided.

According to Russian Government Spokesman Dmitri Peskhov, after the negotiations concluded, Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately called President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that severe sanctions should be imposed if Russia rejects the ceasefire proposal.

“Russia’s demands are far-fetched and far from the initial plans before the talks,” said a source in the Ukrainian delegation.

"Russia demands our forces withdraw from the territories they occupy before a ceasefire can be implemented, along with other non-constructive conditions in the effort to build peace," said a Ukrainian source.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that Russia's position is unacceptable. European leaders, Ukraine, and the US share a similar stance against Russia's demands.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is preparing a number of new sanctions packages against Russia.

The leader of the Russian negotiation delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, stated to the media that they have received a request for direct negotiations between President Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin.

"The parties presented detailed proposals regarding a ceasefire in the future. After the proposals were submitted, it is hoped that we can reach an agreement or continue negotiations," said Medinsky while praising the efforts of President Trump and the U.S. negotiators in promoting peacebuilding.

Putin's Special Envoy for Investment, Kirill Dmitriev, stated through his X account that the Russia-Ukraine meeting yielded positive results. The agreed outcomes of the negotiations include the exchange of prisoners of war and various options for a ceasefire. Additionally, both countries were able to understand each other's positions and expressed their intention to continue the dialogue process.

Additional Negotiations

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on his X account that he and the Director of Political Affairs of the European Union, Kaja Kallas, agreed on the necessity of exerting pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

The new negotiations resulted in a prisoner exchange. Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine's top priority is an unconditional ceasefire as the basis for the next peace negotiations.

Breakthrough efforts in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are expected to dwindle, especially after President Trump, during his visit to the Middle East, stated that further steps would await his meeting with President Putin.

The Russian side has stated that it wishes to end the war through diplomatic means and is ready to discuss a ceasefire. However, they are also concerned that a ceasefire could be exploited by Ukraine to strengthen its defenses and acquire additional weapons from the West.

In contrast, Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately delaying the ceasefire and not being serious about bringing about peace.

Calm Atmosphere

Previously, on Friday, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators sat across from each other at a U-shaped table. The Russian delegation wore suits, while the Ukrainian delegation donned military uniforms.

A Turkish official stated that the negotiations are proceeding calmly. However, a schedule for the next meeting has not yet been agreed upon. Each delegation will first provide a briefing to their respective leaders.

Ukrainian sources state that the Ukrainian delegation spoke in Ukrainian and used an interpreter, although the Russian language is widely used in Ukraine.

Ukrainian and European sources said the Russian delegation rejected Ukraine's proposal to have a US representative in the negotiating room.

There are two sources stating that Medinsky declared Russia is prepared to fight for as long as necessary if required. He recalled that Tsar Peter the Great once waged war for 21 years against the Kingdom of Sweden in the early 1700s AD.

The Great Northern War between Russia and Sweden involved various parties such as Poland, Turkey, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Ireland, Poland-Lithuania, Denmark, Norway, Prussia (now Germany), Montenegro, and Moldova.

"We do not want to go to war. However, we are ready if we must fight for a year, two, three years, or however long you want," said the source, quoting Medinsky's statement.

The Russian side considers the meeting in Istanbul to be a continuation of the dialogue efforts conducted in 2022, a few weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.

In the negotiations of 2022, the situation in Ukraine was much better. Now, Ukraine's position is increasingly pressured, and Russia has the advantage on the battlefield and controls a larger area (at least 20 percent of Ukraine's land territory).

President Putin urged Ukraine to recognize and relinquish the territories that have been occupied by Russia, cancel its NATO membership plans, and become a neutral country.

Ukraine has rejected the proposals and is seeking security guarantees from Western countries, especially the United States. (Reuters/AFP)