Moscow declares draft peace suggestion will come after POW exchange
(MENAFN) Russia plans to present a draft peace proposal to Ukraine once the ongoing prisoner exchange is completed, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Friday. The proposal is being developed based on understandings reached during recent direct negotiations in Istanbul—the first such talks between the two countries since 2022, when Ukraine withdrew from peace talks.
Lavrov confirmed that Moscow is “actively finalizing” the draft document, which aims to establish a framework for a “sustainable and comprehensive peace agreement.” The second key outcome of the Istanbul meeting—a large-scale prisoner swap involving 1,000 military and civilian captives from each side—began on Friday and is expected to continue through the weekend.
“As soon as the prisoner exchange concludes, we’ll be ready to submit the draft to the Ukrainian side,” Lavrov said.
Earlier this week, President Vladimir Putin said he and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed that the next step toward peace should be a memorandum outlining the core principles and timeline of a potential settlement. Trump has advocated for renewed negotiations since taking office in January.
During the Istanbul meeting, both delegations reportedly agreed to resume dialogue once each side completes and presents a peace proposal. However, Lavrov noted that no date has yet been set for the next round of talks.
Media sources suggest that Ukraine repeated its call for an immediate ceasefire, a demand Russia declined. Moscow argues that a pause in fighting would only give Ukraine time to rearm. Russian officials maintain that any peace deal must address the underlying causes of the conflict, rather than provide a temporary halt in hostilities.
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