Russia ties Putin-Zelensky meeting to pre-agreed peace terms
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Russia has conditioned any Putin-Zelensky meeting on a finalized agreement while proposing major prisoner swaps and limited ceasefires.
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Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky talks to journalists during a news conference following a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations for peace talks at Ciragan palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 23, 2025 (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Following the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Russian presidential aide and lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky clarified that any direct talks between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would only be possible if a preliminary agreement is reached ahead of time.
"In order for such a meeting to take place, it is necessary to work out the terms of the agreement in advance and understand what to discuss at this meeting. In fact, at this meeting it is necessary not to discuss the agreement but to 'put an end' and sign it. Do you understand? ... It does not make sense to meet in order to discuss it all over again from scratch," Medinsky said when asked whether a potential summit between the two presidents had been part of the discussions.
Such a meeting, he noted, would require thorough preparation and that Moscow had conveyed this stance clearly to the Ukrainian delegation.
According to TASS, a decision on the fourth round of talks will follow the implementation of current agreements.
Humanitarian proposals
In addition to outlining conditions for a presidential meeting, Medinsky announced that Russia has offered to carry out a large-scale prisoner exchange with Ukraine. "As part of continuing the exchange of prisoners, we have agreed that at least 1,200 more prisoners from each side will be exchanged in the near future," he stated. He also mentioned that the number could rise: "If they find our people on their side, this figure will increase."
Medinsky also highlighted a Russian initiative to establish limited ceasefires aimed at facilitating humanitarian efforts along active battlefronts. "We have once again suggested that the Ukrainian side consider, in our opinion, a very important issue. The announcement of short 24-48-hour truces on the line of contact, on the front line, so that the medical teams could pick up the wounded and so that the commanders could pick up the corpses of their fighters," he said.
Moscow is also seeking clarification on the status of civilians from the Kursk region held in Ukraine and has offered to exchange them for Ukrainian military prisoners. Russia additionally offered Kiev the remains of 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
Read more: Russia, Ukraine agree on largest prisoner swap and limited ceasefire
Broken accord
These proposals build upon the limited progress made during the second round of talks, where both sides had agreed to exchange at least 1,000 prisoners and repatriate thousands of bodies. However, implementation has been uneven. Notably, on June 7, Russian officials expressed outrage after Ukrainian representatives failed to appear at a confirmed exchange point for the remains of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers. Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin stated that Russia had adhered to the June 2 Istanbul agreement by transporting the bodies to the designated location, only to be met with silence from Kiev.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned Ukraine’s absence, warning of generational consequences for failing to recover the dead. Deputy Security Council Chair Dmitry Medvedev went further, accusing Ukrainian authorities of deliberately avoiding the retrieval of soldiers’ bodies to obscure casualty figures and sidestep compensation payments to their families.
