Istanbul: Although the main agenda of the Russian-Ukrainian talks held in Istanbul yesterday was the exchange of prisoners and bodies, the fate of missing children and political prisoners, fundamental contradictions still played a major role. Although the Russian side tried to present the meeting as a humanitarian initiative, Ukrainian representatives called it formal and fruitless. Moscow once again demanded the recognition of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as Russian territory, Kyiv’s refusal from NATO and transition to neutral status. It is no secret that these conditions clearly contradict Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the meeting generally showed that the diplomatic process is ongoing, but revealed that there has been no serious progress on the path to peace. Ukrainian political expert Valery Dymov noted in his interview with APA that the last Russian-Ukrainian meeting held in Istanbul was far from real negotiations, was formal in nature, and no serious result was expected from the beginning. He emphasized that the Russian side is not taking a constructive position and is presenting the “prisoner trade” under the guise of “exchange” with a terrorist approach.
In an interview with APA, Igor Korotchenko, Director General of the Russian Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies, assessed the Russian-Ukrainian meeting held in Istanbul as a positive step towards resolving the conflict. He stated that the Russian side is ready to hand over the remains of 6,000 Ukrainian servicemen and release political prisoners, considering the meeting a positive step in terms of finding ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. Despite the starkly different positions of Moscow and Kyiv, Korotchenko noted that the Russian delegation’s approach was detailed and calculated on concrete results.
The conditions put forward by the Russian side pose a significant challenge to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine recognized by international law. Moscow’s demands, such as the recognition of Crimea and other occupied territories as part of the Russian Federation, Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO, and the adoption of a neutral status, are seen as direct interference in Kyiv’s state independence and decision-making sovereignty.
The discussion of specific mechanisms at the Istanbul meeting on the abducted children and the agreements reached on this issue are considered important elements of the negotiations. According to Ukrainian political scientist Dymov, the meeting yielded important but limited results concerning the return of Ukrainian children. He noted that of the thousands of abducted Ukrainian children, only a very small part might be returned to Ukraine. The International Criminal Court in The Hague continues to investigate these issues seriously, with the hope that the fate of other children will be clarified and those responsible held accountable.
Russian expert Korotchenko expressed that Ukraine is politicizing the issue of missing children. He mentioned that it is crucial not to leave children, women, and the elderly alone in territories that are part of the Russian Federation or liberated areas. He called for a comprehensive assessment and monitoring of the fate of each person named on relevant lists during the Istanbul talks.