Zelensky instructed to form a delegation for new negotiations with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed to form a delegation for new negotiations with the Russian side.

Zelensky announced this on his Telegram page.

According to him, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov reported on the implementation of the agreements of the second meeting with representatives of Moscow in Istanbul and the agreement on a meeting in the near future.

"The delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov, and the delegation will include representatives of Ukrainian intelligence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the Office of the President," the president said.

In an evening address on July 21, Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had discussed preparations for a new prisoner exchange and a meeting with the Russians, including the head of the National Security and Defense Council Umerov. The next round of talks between Kyiv and Moscow is planned in Turkey on Wednesday, July 23.

Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia

On May 16, 2025, the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 were held in Istanbul. The meeting lasted a little over an hour. According to journalists, Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from a number of territories to ensure a ceasefire and threatened to occupy the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that at the meeting, the Ukrainian and Russian sides discussed a prisoner exchange in the "1000 for 1000" format and a ceasefire. The parties reached an agreement on the exchange — three prisoner exchanges in this format have already taken place.

On May 19, Trump spoke with Putin, as well as with Zelensky and a number of European leaders. Putin said after the conversation that he was ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine that includes a ceasefire. Trump says that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war”.

A large exchange in several stages was agreed upon at negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on June 2. It was there that the parties decided to focus on exchanges in the "all-for-all" format by categories: seriously wounded and seriously ill, and young people aged 18 to 25.

Several stages of prisoner exchanges in this format have already taken place — June 9, 10, 12,14, 19, 20, 26, and July 4.

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