Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that Moscow is ready to enter a third round of talks with Kiev to find a solution to the prolonged conflict in Ukraine. Speaking in Minsk after the Asia- Europe Summit on June 27, Mr. Putin said that heads of Russian and Ukrainian negotiation delegations still maintain communication by phone and regularly exchanged.
He emphasized that the draft agreements that the two sides have proposed need to be discussed in the next negotiation round, and the time and location of the event are still awaiting consensus. These are two documents with completely opposite views. But that is why we need to negotiate - to find a way to narrow the gap between the two sides," he said. I dont want to go into details, because it wont help and could affect the negotiation process.
In the most recent round of talks held in Istanbul, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations exchanged memorandums of understanding expressing their own views on the roadmap towards a peace deal, and agreed to exchange prisoners. Russia has also unilaterally returned the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers as a humanitarian act.
President Putin said Russia had handed over about 6,000 bodies to Ukraine and was ready to continue transferring nearly 3,000 more. Now, receiving the bodies of the dead soldiers depends on the Ukrainian side, he said. We have agreed that after completing this phase, the two sides will hold the next round of negotiations. In general, we are ready - just need to agree on time and location".
Mr. Putin also thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Putin for supporting the negotiation process, and said Moscow was ready to hold the next round of talks in Istanbul if approved.
