Putin aide says Russia ready to begin prisoner exchange with Ukraine on June 7-9

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky on Wednesday said Moscow is ready to conduct a prisoner exchange with Ukraine, which was agreed upon during direct peace talks in Istanbul earlier this week, on June 7-9.

“We assume that it will probably be 1,200 people on each side, and this will again be the largest exchange of prisoners of war. We are ready to start, June 7, 8, 9. We, on our part, are completely ready for this,” Medinsky said while briefing President Vladimir Putin on talks held in the Turkish metropolis.

Medinsky, who led Russia’s delegation during the negotiations on Monday, said that during the talks they conveyed Putin’s position that a leaders' meeting with Ukraine is possible.

“But it needs to be substantively worked out with results, since heads of state should not work out the details of the agreement, but approve them, that is, make final decisions on previously prepared and agreed matters,” he said.

He said Ukraine conveyed its own position, which is to start with an unconditional ceasefire and prepare for a leaders' summit.

Medinsky said the Russian side is also ready to transfer the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian servicemen to Kyiv “in the coming days,” and to receive those of Russian servicemen.

On Monday, Istanbul hosted the second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks after the first one, also in the Turkish metropolis, on May 16. This time, the two sides agreed to exchange more prisoners of war -- focusing on the youngest and most severely wounded -- and return the bodies of 6,000 soldiers from each side.