Kyiv proposes August Zelenskyy-Putin meeting amid renewed prisoner swaps, peace talks

Ukraine has proposed a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin by the end of August, according to Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council.

Speaking after the latest round of peace talks in Istanbul, Ukraine’s chief negotiator Umerov said discussions with the Russian delegation centred on the possibility of a ceasefire and the release of detainees, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian online publication.

He confirmed that both sides had reached an agreement to expand prisoner exchanges to include not only military personnel but also civilians.

As part of efforts to facilitate continued dialogue, Russia has proposed the establishment of three joint working groups to operate in an online format. Vladimir Medinsky, aide to the Russian president and head of the Russian delegation, told reporters that the proposed groups would cover political, military, and humanitarian issues.

“To save time and reduce costs to taxpayers, we suggested forming three specialised working groups within our delegation that can continue negotiations remotely,” Medinsky explained, adding that the proposal is currently under consideration by the Ukrainian side.

The talks in Istanbul also coincided with the ninth prisoner exchange carried out under the terms of previous agreements reached in Türkiye. President Zelenskyy announced that the exchange involved severely wounded and critically ill Ukrainian defenders.

According to Kyiv, over 1,000 Ukrainians have been returned as part of the ongoing Istanbul-brokered framework.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed the progress and expressed gratitude to Presidents Putin, Zelenskyy, and U.S. President Donald Trump for their contributions to launching the negotiation process.

Prior to the main discussions, Fidan hosted a trilateral meeting with Medinsky and the Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak. Delegation-level consultations then continued behind closed doors.

“Türkiye will persist in its role as a mediator in efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine,” Fidan stated, underscoring Ankara’s ongoing diplomatic engagement.

 By Aghakazim Guliyev