Russia and Ukraine Agree on Prisoner Swap, but Peace Talks Stall in Istanbul

Russian and Ukrainian delegations held their third round of peace talks on July 23, 2025, at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, under the mediation of Turkish officials. Photo: Reuters

Russia and Ukraine agreed to a major prisoner exchange during their third round of direct talks in Istanbul on Wednesday of July 23, though little progress was made on a broader ceasefire or a potential presidential summit as reported by CNN.

The meeting, hosted by Turkish officials at the historic Ciragan Palace, ended in under an hour. Ukrainian delegation head Rustem Umerov proposed a summit between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin by the end of August, with the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, stated such a summit should only occur to finalise an agreement.

The two sides remain divided on ceasefire terms. Ukraine is calling for a «full and unconditional» ceasefire, while Russia suggested limited 24–48 hour frontline pauses to retrieve casualties.

Despite these differences, both parties confirmed progress on prisoner exchanges. Medinsky announced that 250 prisoners from each side are being exchanged along the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, with an agreement to exchange at least 1,200 more prisoners from each side in the near future. President Zelensky later confirmed that over 1,000 Ukrainians had already been returned under recent agreements, calling it a top priority for the state.

Expectations for the talks were low, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warning against hopes for a breakthrough, citing «diametrically opposed» positions.

The ongoing conflict continues to exact a high human toll. The UK Ministry of Defence recently estimated Russia has suffered over 1 mln casualties since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, figures echoed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Meanwhile, President Trump has shifted tone, giving Moscow a 50-day deadline to reach peace or face «very severe tariffs,» while also securing new military aid routes to Ukraine through European allies. The move coincides with an EU sanctions package targeting Russian oil exports and financial networks evading existing restrictions.

Zelensky has reiterated that a direct meeting with Putin is essential to ending the war, though such a summit remains uncertain.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Taliban army chief Fasihuddin Fitrat has admitted that efforts to retrieve military aircraft that fled to Uzbekistan during the fall of the previous Afghan government in 2021 have yet to succeed.