Prisoner Exchange Agreement
Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for less than an hour and reached a deal to swap more than 1,200 prisoners from each side and return the remains of fallen soldiers, marking another step in humanitarian cooperation. Officials on both sides confirmed that they would continue work to bring home more of their people, building on previous exchanges under earlier talks in the same city. kyivindependent.com, meduza.io
Ceasefire Proposals Divide Delegations
Ukraine’s team, led by Rustem Umerov, asked for a full and lasting pause in fighting now and urged immediate work toward detailed peace deals. Russia’s representative, Vladimir Medinsky, rejected that idea and offered only short breaks of a day or two to evacuate wounded fighters and collect bodies. Russia also suggested three online working groups to cover political, aid, and military issues. albawaba.com, turkiyetoday.com
Summit Plan Dismissed
Ukraine proposed a meeting by the end of August with Presidents Zelensky, Putin, Trump, and Erdogan to seal an overall peace agreement, but Russia dismissed the idea as premature. Medinsky said such a summit should happen only after negotiators agree on all terms. He added that both sides agreed to keep talking but stayed far apart in their basic aims. english.pravda.ru, albawaba.com
Humanitarian Progress Continues
Despite the deadlock on ending the war, both sides confirmed they carried out another prisoner swap on the same day, marking the ninth such exchange from agreements in Istanbul so far. President Zelensky said over 1,000 Ukrainians have come home under all recent deals, and Russia said it would return the bodies of 3,000 soldiers and process a list of 339 children taken during the war. meduza.io, youtube.com
Outside Pressure and Next Steps
These talks came as former President Trump threatened tariffs on Russia if it did not agree to an end to the war within fifty days. Previous peace rounds in May and June also yielded swaps but no lasting ceasefire. Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, who hosted the meeting, urged both sides to focus on outcomes that could bring a true pause in violence and set the stage for formal peace negotiations. dw.com
Personal Analysis
The latest talks show that both sides still see value in small deals that ease human suffering, yet they cannot agree on the bigger picture. Ukraine shows more urgency in ending all fighting before detailed talks begin, while Russia treats a full ceasefire as a later step after political issues get sorted.
This gap in priorities means that small steps will come first and real peace may take much more time, unless outside actors press harder or one side shifts its demand for a total halt in combat. Continuous dialogue on prisoner swaps may help build trust, but only direct talks on ending the war can deliver lasting calm.
