Ukraine Sets June Timeline For Next Peace Talks With Russia Despite Moscow's Rejection Of Unconditional Ceasefire

Kyiv: Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has proposed holding the next round of peace talks with Russia between June 20 and 30, despite Moscow's rejection of Kyiv's call for an unconditional ceasefire during the Istanbul talks. According to reports, Russian negotiators have handed Ukraine two proposed options for a ceasefire, which include a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions claimed by Russia and a "package" deal with several conditions.

The talks, which were held in Istanbul, saw Ukrainian negotiator Sergiy Kyslytsya stating that the Russian side continued to reject the motion of an unconditional ceasefire. Instead, Russia's chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, suggested a limited ceasefire lasting "two to three days" in select frontline areas to allow for the recovery of soldiers' bodies. Ukraine has yet to respond to the proposal.

In a positive development, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to give each other lists of people they want included in a planned prisoner of war swap. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that negotiators for both countries agreed to exchange 1000 prisoners each, with the possibility of swapping an additional 200 POWs. There is also an agreement to return the remains of killed service personnel, but this would require careful preparation.

Zelenskyy also revealed that Ukrainian negotiators gave their Russian counterparts a list of nearly 400 children they wanted Russia to return home to Ukraine. However, the Russian delegation agreed to work on returning only 10 of them. Ukrainian Defence Minister Umerov emphasised that the return of children is a fundamental priority for Ukraine, and the return of at least half of the children on the list would be a positive step.

The talks come at a time when Ukraine has claimed to have destroyed Russian bombers worth billions of dollars in a long-range attack. Ukraine released unverified videos showing planes engulfed in flames and thick black smoke, with a source from Ukraine's security services (SBU) stating that the strikes targeted 41 planes used to "bomb Ukrainian villages."