Second Round of Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Focuses on Ceasefire, Prisoner Exchanges

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that the second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine, held in Istanbul, will center on the conditions for a ceasefire and further prisoner exchanges.

Speaking at the opening of the negotiations, Fidan praised both delegations for their “results-oriented and constructive” approach during the initial meeting on May 16, which led to the swift exchange of thousands of prisoners. He confirmed that both sides had since defined their positions on a possible ceasefire and returned to the table as agreed, demonstrating “their will to mutually assess the positions.”

“Today’s meeting aims to continue assessing the conditions and prospects for a ceasefire. At the same time, we intend to move forward on the issue of exchanging prisoners of war, including out of humanitarian considerations,” Fidan said.

The minister added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has maintained regular contact with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “At the direction of our president, we had trips to Moscow and Kyiv last week to prepare for this meeting. We discussed the prospects for settlement sincerely and in detail with both sides,” Fidan said, expressing hope that the negotiations would lead to tangible steps toward peace.

“I hope that your talks will bring good results for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia,” he concluded.