ISTANBUL, July 23 — Russia and Ukraine wrapped up a new round of negotiations on conflict resolution in Istanbul on Tuesday evening, according to Turkish media reports. The full-format meeting began at 8:37 p.m. local time at the historic Çırağan Palace and lasted approximately 40 minutes.
The delegations were led by Vladimir Medinsky, aide to the Russian president, and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also participated in the talks.
Ahead of the main session, the heads of both delegations held a one-on-one meeting in the same venue, TASS reported, citing a source.
According to informed sources cited by TASS, the two sides reached a preliminary agreement to expand the scope of prisoner exchanges to include civilians as well as military personnel. “The key outcome is that a swap of not only prisoners of war but also civilian detainees is being planned,” the source said.
Speaking after the talks, Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said Kyiv had proposed holding a presidential-level summit between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin by the end of August. “Such a meeting could unlock meaningful political progress. Russia must show it is ready,” Umerov told reporters. He reiterated Ukraine’s demand for a full and unconditional ceasefire, including an end to strikes on civilian infrastructure.
However, Russia’s lead delegate Vladimir Medinsky said that a summit of heads of state would require further groundwork, including progress on a detailed peace agreement. The Kremlin has echoed this position, emphasizing that any territorial issues are beyond the negotiating mandate of the Ukrainian delegation and must be addressed personally by President Zelensky.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had offered Istanbul as a neutral venue for the summit, also suggested including former U.S. President Donald Trump in high-level negotiations.
Medinsky confirmed that while differences between Moscow and Kyiv remain significant—as reflected in their respective draft memoranda—both sides agreed to continue dialogue. He noted that work would proceed on humanitarian issues, including through joint working groups.
The third round of negotiations concluded without a final agreement but left open the door for further diplomatic engagement and concrete steps on humanitarian cooperation.
