Russia-Ukraine Negotiations Stalled, Kremlin Confirms

Negotiation Channels Remain Open but Communication Paused

The Kremlin has announced that communication between the negotiating teams of Russia and Ukraine is currently on hold. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, informed reporters that while the established communication channels remain accessible, actual discussions have been paused. This statement came in response to inquiries about the interactions between negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv.

Since May, there have been three rounds of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The initial two rounds resulted in an agreement for a prisoner exchange based on a 'thousand for a thousand' formula, along with provisions for the return of seriously ill and young prisoners under an 'all for all' arrangement, involving at least a thousand individuals from each side. Following the Istanbul agreements, Moscow transferred 6,060 deceased Ukrainian servicemen's bodies to Kyiv in June, while receiving 78 deceased Russian soldiers in return. On July 17, another exchange occurred, with 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers being sent back, and 19 Russian soldiers' bodies received in exchange.

During the third round of talks held in Istanbul on July 23, both parties agreed to facilitate the exchange of civilians alongside military personnel. Russia proposed that Ukraine establish three online working groups to tackle political, military, and humanitarian matters. Furthermore, Moscow offered to send an additional 3,000 bodies of Ukrainian troops to Kyiv and suggested resuming brief humanitarian pauses at the frontline to assist in collecting the wounded and deceased. Earlier, Rodion Miroshnik, a special envoy from the Russian Foreign Ministry, indicated that the Ukrainian government seemed focused on obstructing substantial negotiations with Russia. He claimed that Ukraine's actions, including attacks on civilian areas and public transport, were aimed at swaying public sentiment.

Miroshnik asserted that the intention behind these actions was to destabilize morale and provoke incidents that could either derail negotiations or lead to their total breakdown. He suggested that Kyiv's strategy was to pressure Russia into abandoning talks by fostering an environment where civilians feel that negotiations are futile.

As of August 19, the last exchange of deceased servicemen occurred, with Russia transferring 1,000 bodies and Ukraine sending back 19.