MOSCOW: Communication between the negotiating teams of Russia and Ukraine has stalled even as channels for that have been established, Krem...
MOSCOW: Communication between the negotiating teams of Russia and Ukraine has stalled even as channels for that have been established, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Communication channels are available, those have been established. Even as our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate via these channels, rather, we can state that this communication has been paused," Peskov said, when asked about contacts between negotiators from Moscow and Kiev.
Since May, Russia and Ukraine have held three rounds of direct talks. As a result of the first two rounds of negotiations, they agreed on the exchange of prisoners under a "thousand for a thousand" formula, as well as on the return of seriously ill and young (under 25) prisoners under an "all for all" format – at least a thousand people from each side. Also, as a follow-up of the Istanbul agreements, in June, Moscow transferred to Kiev the first 6,060 bodies of dead Ukrainian servicemen, returning 78 dead Russian soldiers, and on July 17 – another 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, receiving in response 19 bodies of fallen Russian soldiers.
Following the third round of Russia-Ukraine talks which took place in Istanbul on July 23, the parties agreed to exchange civilians along with service members. Russia invited Ukraine to set up three online working groups to address political, military and humanitarian issues. In addition, Moscow offered to transfer the bodies of another 3,000 Ukrainian troops to Kiev and resume short humanitarian pauses on the frontline in order to collect the wounded and the dead.
Russia and Ukraine last exchanged the bodies of their killed serivemen on August 19, with Russia transferring 1,000 bodies and Ukraine 19.
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