The process of direct negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine in Istanbul works. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting of President Vladimir Putin with the participation of government members.
“Both rounds, as we know, gave specific results, including the exchange of prisoners of war 1000 by 1000. And now, as the head of our delegation, Vladimir Rostislavovich Medinsky, said, additional agreements on a new no less major exchange, and not only the exchange of prisoners of war in an equal proportion, but also the transfer of seriously chopped, patients and plus the return of the bodies of the dead,” said Lavrov.
According to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, under all circumstances, “it is always better to have a communication channel.”
“This allows you to solve primarily humanitarian issues. And it is the coordination of oncoming humanitarian steps as gestures of goodwill, as measures to strengthen confidence, at this stage, it is necessary. Moreover, here, as I said, there is a real movement forward,” the minister said.
At the same time, Lavrov called the “gross mistake” of Kyiv a rejection of a “brief two-, three-day pause in order to collect the body of the dead with dignity in certain areas of the combat contact line.”
“Despite all this, Vladimir Vladimirovich, and despite the new major criminal provocations in the last few days, I would consider it important not to succumb to these provocative actions, clearly aimed at disrupting negotiations and continuing to receive weapons from European countries. All the means, including negotiations, to achieve just the goals of the” special military operation “, I believe that it is necessary to use it,” it subsidifers it. He.