Russia-Ukraine to begin prisoner exchange on June 7-9: Vladimir Medinsky

Moscow:  The second round of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations concluded in Istanbul on Monday. The meeting lasted over an hour in the Ciragan Palace, Reports Dynamite News correspondent.

Russia is ready to begin the prisoner exchange with Ukraine on June 7-9, Russian presidential aide and head of the Russian delegation to the talks with Ukraine Vladimir Medinsky said, final figures on the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine are being agreed upon, and it could be 1,200 people, Medinsky pointed out.

Russia at the Istanbul talks urged to focus on working out the terms of peace, not a ceasefire, he said. The Ukrainian side promised to study the memorandum of the Russian side and provide comments later, Medinsky said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Medinsky to report on the results of the negotiations held on June 2 in Istanbul with the Ukrainian side.

"We handed over our draft memorandum on the peaceful settlement, which consisted of two parts. The first part is the conditions for concluding a long-term peace, the second part is the conditions for a cease-fire... the Ukrainian side promised to study it and comment on it later," Medinsky said at a meeting with Putin and members of the government.

The working language during the negotiations in Istanbul was Russian, he revealed, with negotiations one-on-one in Istanbul lasted for more than three hours. Medinsky showed a list of allegedly abducted children to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was handed over by the Ukrainian delegation at the talks in Istanbul.

"The Ukrainian side has handed over to us the lists of 339 children allegedly abducted from the territory of Ukraine. This is the list, we have started work on it," Medinsky said at a meeting with Putin and members of the government.

Stay tuned to Dynamite News for further updates.