Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov reported that the one-hour discussion led to an agreement for new POW exchanges.
The two parties agreed to exchange “all for all” seriously ill individuals and those under 25 years old, affecting at least 1,000 people, according to Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation. Additionally, Moscow will hand over 6,000 bodies of deceased Ukrainian defenders. They also proposed a ceasefire lasting two to three days in certain areas of the front, which would facilitate the retrieval of “the bodies of dead soldiers.”
Moreover, the Russian delegation was not amenable to either a ceasefire or a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. However, the Russians presented a memorandum with the same demands, outlining their ceasefire conditions. Ukraine is currently reviewing this and suggested the next round of negotiations be scheduled between June 20 and 30.
According to officials, Russia’s memorandum reiterates the demand that Kyiv withdraw its troops from areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia currently under Ukrainian control.
Earlier, President Zelenskyy outlined Ukraine’s key negotiation points: a complete and unconditional ceasefire, the release of prisoners, and the return of abducted children, followed by preparations for a meeting between the two leaders.