The two countries are still far apart, but they agree to swap prisoners

The second round of the direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended without a big penetration, and only an agreement between the two warring sides to exchange more prisoners of the war.

Ukrainian negotiators said that Russia rejected once again a “unconditional ceasefire” – a major request by Kiev and its allies in Europe and the United States.

The Russian team said that it suggested a daily truce to three days “in certain areas” of the vast front line, but it did not give more details.

On Monday talks, which were held in Istanbul, Turkey and lasted a little more than an hour, the two sides agreed to exchange all prisoners of the war and wounded war, as well as those under the age of 25.

The expectations were low even before the conversations began, with both sides remaining deeply divided on how to end the war that was raging since Russia launched a large scale of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow is currently controlling about 20 % of Ukrainian lands, including the southern Crimean peninsula that was included in 2014.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rostam Omrov, who led the Kiev negotiating team, said that Ukraine insists on the “full and unconditional” and unconditional “ceasefire” for at least 30 days on the ground, at sea and in the air to end the killings now.

He said that Ukraine had handed over a truce to Russia “a few days ago” – but Moscow failed to do the same, as it only presented its plan in Istanbul’s talks.

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sirhi Kissletezia said Russia has refused to stop unconditional shooting.

Ukraine also handed over a list of hundreds of children that Kyiv said was strongly transferred to Russia.

Ukraine negotiators said that they expect Russia’s response to Ukrainian proposals by the end of June, stressing the need to prepare for direct talks between Ukrainian President Foludmir Zelinsky and Russia Vladimir Putin.

But so far there is no sign of any progress to hold a meeting between the presidents.

Speaking at a separate press conference, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Midinski, confirmed all the patients with the patient and the wounded, and those under the age of 25 will be exchanged. A time frame has not been given when this will happen.

Medinski also said that Russia next week will surrender the bodies of 6000 Ukrainian soldiers.

Russia refused, rejecting the unlawful shooting, to talk about “permanent peace”, with the repetition of its previous difficult demands that Ukraine and its allies say is tantamount to actual surrender in Kiev.

The texts of both the Russian and Ukrainian shooting proposals have not been officially published.

However, the state -run Russian media has published what they say are major points in the position of Moscow, which include demands that have not changed from the Ukrainian military withdrawal from its four parts occupied partially in the southeast, and the demobilization of the soldiers.

Russia also calls for international recognition of the regions of Ukraine Donetsk, Luhansk, Jeruson and Zaburisvia, as well as the attached Crimea.

Other pre -conditions include a ban on Ukraine’s membership in any military alliances, a maximum limit for the size of the Ukrainian army, and Russian as an official language, and the lifting of international sanctions.

“While there are no significant signals from Russia to end the war, it is important to strengthen our defense,” said President Zelinski, who was attending on Monday in Velnes, Lithuania.

He also called for more sanctions against Russia.

In the first round of the direct peace talks, held on May 16, Ukraine and Russia failed to bridge their differences on how to end the war, and they only agreed to swap 1,000 war prisoners for each of them.

President Zelinski and his European allies have repeatedly accused Russia of delaying any useful negotiations to seize more Ukrainian lands.

US President Donald Trump, who was pushing for a quick settlement, has so far been delayed in hitting Russia with difficult sanctions.

In Nader’s reprimand last month, Trump described Putin as “very crazy” After the largest drone attacks in Russia on Ukraine. In response, the Kremlin said that Trump was showing signs of “emotional excess pregnancy.”