Moscow declares peace discussions with Kiev on hold
(MENAFN) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Wednesday that peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are currently paused as both sides focus on fulfilling prior humanitarian commitments. These include ongoing efforts related to prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of fallen soldiers.
During a press briefing, Peskov emphasized that future talks would only be scheduled once these obligations are fully met. The two countries last held direct discussions in Türkiye in June, reviving a diplomatic process that Ukraine had previously halted in 2022 in favor of seeking military victory with Western backing.
At the June 2 meeting, Moscow and Kiev agreed on humanitarian measures, including prisoner swaps and the return of the remains of deceased troops. Russia recently returned 6,060 sets of remains to Ukraine in exchange for 78 of its own. Russia has indicated it is ready to hand over another 3,000 bodies.
Although both sides carried out prisoner exchanges, they have not released detailed figures, breaking from previous practice. Negotiators signaled that parity in numbers was not a priority, especially regarding the exchange of seriously wounded soldiers.
While Ukraine has returned to dialogue under pressure from the administration of former US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian officials accuse Moscow of negotiating in bad faith by refusing to agree to an unconditional ceasefire.
Russia, for its part, insists that any pause in fighting could allow Ukraine to regroup and outlined ceasefire conditions in a draft proposal. Moscow demands either the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from territories Russia claims or a halt to Ukraine’s conscription and Western arms deliveries.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is expected to meet with Trump during the ongoing NATO summit in The Hague.
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