Ukraine War: Interfax: Moscow confirms negotiations on Wednesday

Russia confirmed the appointment for a new negotiating round with Ukraine for this Wednesday in Istanbul in Istanbul, according to the Moscow news agency Interfax, in his aging war, which has been going on for more than three years. The Russian delegation expects this to be the main trial day, the agency reported, citing Moscow negotiating circles.

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj had previously mentioned the appointment. The Kremlin, however, had not confirmed this on Tuesday afternoon.

The meeting will take place again in Istanbul, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow. The Russian delegation is again to cite presidential advisors and ex-culture minister Vladimir Medinski.

Despite his resignation as Minister of Defense, chief negotiator on the Ukrainian side becomes once again Rustem Umjerow. Selenskyj wrote on Telegram on Tuesday, wrote the Umjerow appointed Secretary of the National Security Council to draw up the new delegation.

The only result so far: prisoner exchange

It has already been the third round of direct discussions between the warring parties since May. Before that, there had been no negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv for more than three years. At the previous meetings in May and June, the negotiators agreed a great exchange of prisoners of war. Young soldiers under the age of 25 and seriously wounded fighters have recently come free.

In addition, Moscow and Kyiv agreed on the backover of the fallen. According to its own information, Russia has handed over 7,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev in this context. There is no information about the number of prisoners exchanged.

Ukraine wants to prepare further exchange and summit

Selenskyj has already dampened the expectations of the new negotiating round. According to him, this time again will not be about a ceasefire and a termination of the war. For Kiev, the expansion of the prisoner exchange and the withdrawal of children that Russia had deported from the occupied areas was primarily.

In addition, the meeting of the preparation of a summit between him and Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin should serve, said Selenskyj. Putin once ordered the war, only he could end it, he justified his insistence at a meeting with the 72-year-old.

In the past, the Kremlin has blocked the subject of a direct meeting between Putin and Selenskyj. So the Ukrainian head of state in May in vain was waiting for his counterpart in Turkey. Such a summit must be prepared well to be successful, according to Moscow. The Russian leadership insists that the position papers should be discussed in the third round of negotiations via possible ways to peace that the warring parties had handed over.

Moscow ties in armistice on conditions

According to the meeting of the delegations in Istanbul, the Kremlin expects an approach of the previously opposing positions of Moscow and Kiev on the conditions for a ceasefire. However, “great diplomatic work” is necessary, said Peskow. He does not count on a “breakthrough from the series Wunder”.

Unconditional ceasefire, as already proposed by US President Donald Trump in March, rejected Putin – unlike Selenskyj. He justified this with worries about recovery and reorganization of the Ukrainian troops. Instead, Russia plans to continue its advance until there is a final peace solution.

Russia has so far not moved away from his maximum demands for peace, for example, the waiver of Ukraine calls for NATO accession and the complete retreat Kiev troops from the areas annexed by Moscow Donetsk, Luhansk, Saporischschja and Cherson. The Ukrainian Peninsula Crimean had already taken possession of Russia in 2014.