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- Contractual style: what is behind the first exchange of prisoners under 25 years old between Russia and Ukraine
Contractual style: what is behind the first exchange of prisoners under 25 years old between Russia and Ukraine
Ukraine's manipulations with delaying the deadlines for fulfilling agreements with Russia are related to internal factors and Kiev's relations with its sponsors, Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia. Experts add that the current Ukrainian authorities are afraid of image losses that will increase discontent in the country. On June 9, Russia and Ukraine conducted the first exchange of prisoners under the age of 25, although an agreement on this was reached in Istanbul a week ago. Moscow also conveyed to Kiev in advance the proposal to transfer the bodies of the dead soldiers. However, Kiev has not accepted its soldiers. Against this background, the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Belarus will discuss the situation around Ukraine. The progress in the implementation of the agreements reached in Istanbul can be found in the Izvestia article.
How are the humanitarian agreements between Moscow and Kiev being implemented
Russia and Ukraine conducted the first exchange of prisoners under the age of 25 in accordance with the agreements reached by the parties on June 2 in Istanbul during the negotiations of the delegations. Russian military personnel are currently on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
At the same time, Kiev has not received the bodies of its dead soldiers. Recall that on June 7, Ukraine postponed this procedure indefinitely, said Vladimir Medinsky, assistant to the President and head of the Russian delegation.
Russian representatives are still in the exchange area and are ready to hand over the bodies of the dead soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was stated on June 9 at a briefing by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, answering a question from Izvestia.
A refrigerated truck with the bodies of dead Ukrainian servicemen in the Bryansk region. June 8, 2025
Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, told Izvestia that the Russian Federation had fully implemented the agreements, the ball was on the Ukrainian side and Kiev was responsible for the official reaction to the humanitarian act proposed by Russia.
— We state that the agreements have been fully implemented on the Russian side. Kiev's manipulations are carried out regardless of the negotiations. This is influenced by some internal factors or by Ukraine's external relations with its sponsors," Miroshnik explained to Izvestia.
Russian servicemen who returned from Ukrainian captivity. June 9th, 2025
After the second round of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on June 2, it became known that the Russian Federation would hand over the bodies of 6,000 dead Ukrainian soldiers and accept the bodies of Russian soldiers if Ukraine had them. The parties also reached an agreement on a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war, which will include seriously ill people and people under the age of 25. It was about the mutual transfer of 1,000 to 1,2 thousand people.
Ukraine's failure to receive the bodies of its dead soldiers is regrettable, Milan Mazurek, a member of the European Parliament (EP), told Izvestia. Taking care of the remains of fallen soldiers is one of the most important duties of any state, he stressed.
— It is difficult for me to imagine that only such exchanges of opinions could resolve the conflict. However, I sincerely hope that both sides will show respect to the victims and their families. First of all, I hope that this senseless violence will stop as soon as possible," the politician told Izvestia.
A destroyed APU tank on the road in the Kursk region. March 24, 2025
The Ukrainian authorities do not want to accept the bodies of their soldiers, due to the fact that such a number of dead shatters all the narratives promoted by Ukrainian propaganda. In addition, most of the transferred soldiers died in the Kursk area, where the fighting was Zelensky's personal initiative, former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Spiridon Kilinkarov told Izvestia.
"I am convinced that they will try to stretch this procedure as long as possible, question it, conduct a lot of examinations, and take this topic somewhere into the shadows so that Ukrainians do not focus their attention on it," he said.
Search volunteers collect the remains of Ukrainian soldiers for further humanitarian exchange of the dead. The year 2024
The curators explain to Zelensky how to get out of the situation that Kiev has got into because of "its own intransigence and unchristian approach" to the remains of its soldiers, political analyst Vladimir Skachko told Izvestia. According to him, the West is telling the Ukrainian authorities how to justify this situation by setting various conditions.
Prospects for the third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
The dates of the third round of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev have not yet been determined, but it is known that Ukraine had previously offered to arrange another meeting in the period from June 20 to June 30. Russia will continue the conversation, despite the terrorist nature of the Kiev regime. This was stated on June 9 by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, answering a question from Izvestia about the form in which the parties to the negotiations would respond to the memoranda.
— We will certainly talk about continuing conversations. <...> [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov expressed his point of view, where he said that <...>.."nevertheless, it is necessary to continue contacts at the working level, and the President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] agreed with this," Peskov stressed.
Negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine at the Chiragan Palace in Istanbul. June 2, 2025
Agreements on a new round of dialogue are being reached by the negotiating teams. These are negotiations on negotiations, when the parties agree on the most convenient option for them to transmit answers through appropriate channels, Rodion Miroshnik clarified in an interview with Izvestia.
Against this background, Maxim Ryzhenkov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, arrived in Moscow on June 9. He planned to exchange views on the situation around Ukraine with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. One of the main topics of the talks scheduled for June 10 could also be the humanitarian component of the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. It is important that the return of the Russian military takes place through the Belarusian territory.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov
It was also in this republic that Tatyana Moskalkova, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, and Dmitry Lubinets, the Ukrainian ombudsman, met, Alexander Shpakovsky, a member of the House of Representatives of Belarus, told Izvestia.
— Today, the Republic of Belarus remains a participant in the negotiation processes on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine. Our country, by virtue of its existing capabilities, is assisting Russia in achieving peace on terms acceptable to us with the unconditional fulfillment of the tasks set at the beginning of its operation," the Belarusian politician said.
Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova at a meeting with Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets in Belarus. The year 2024
The start of negotiations and their continuation are necessary at least in order to bring the soldiers home. This is not only a counterargument to those who oppose contacts with Kiev, but also a vivid demonstration that Russia remembers the Russian servicemen in captivity and is making all necessary diplomatic efforts to free them, said Tigran Meloyan, an analyst at the HSE Center for Mediterranean Studies.
"Moreover, with its behavior model, Russia makes it clear that there are issues related to the conditions of long—term peace, and there are humanitarian issues that should not fade into the background and be interrupted under any circumstances," the expert says.
The exchange of prisoners and bodies of the dead is always something that precedes the main agreements on the settlement of the conflict. In this way, the parties are trying to neutralize the most acute moments of the confrontation and demonstrate their willingness to continue the discussion. At the same time, the main topics of the conflict, such as the neutral status of Ukraine and territorial issues, cannot be resolved by Kiev on its own, concluded Natalia Yeremina, Professor at St. Petersburg State University.
It is known that the Russian version of the memorandum contains a clause on the international legal recognition of Crimea, the LPR, the DPR, the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions as part of the Russian Federation, and the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed formations from their territories. In addition, the document contains a provision on Ukraine's neutrality, which implies its refusal to join military alliances and coalitions, as well as the deployment of foreign troops and infrastructure on its territory. Kiev stated in its version of the memorandum that it was not going to commit to renouncing membership in NATO and the EU. Ukrainians expect an immediate 30-day truce with the possibility of extension, the line of demarcation will have to be held by the United States and third countries. Kiev is ready to discuss territorial issues only after a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
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