Kremlin spokesperson Peskov stated readiness to implement agreements on prisoner exchange

Russia maintains its readiness to fulfill agreements on the transfer of deceased Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies and the exchange of prisoners.

This was stated by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

“On Saturday, my colleague and the head of our negotiation team, Vladimir Medinsky, made a statement on this matter. The Russian Federation adheres to the agreements reached during the second round of negotiations in Istanbul and always fulfills what has been agreed upon — something that cannot be said about the Ukrainian side,” Peskov said.

“We’ve all seen and heard hundreds of excuses, justifications, and so on, but it’s hard to consider them credible,” the Kremlin representative added.

He emphasized that the Russian side “remains ready to implement the agreements reached in Istanbul.”

In response to a follow-up question about whether Ukraine’s refusal to accept the bodies of its fallen soldiers would affect future exchanges, Peskov reiterated that Russian specialists are on the ground and ready to proceed.

“So let’s wait until the beginning of the week and see how the Ukrainian side’s position evolves,” he said.

Peskov was also asked whether Russia plans to seek assistance from international organizations to facilitate the exchange of bodies with Ukraine.

“At this point, that’s not being considered, because the agreement was made bilaterally. First, we need to understand whether Ukraine is refusing to honor the deal,” he responded.

Previously, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that the country is fully prepared to fulfill its commitments to transfer over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, as well as to carry out prisoner exchanges.

Last Saturday, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the Istanbul talks, stated that Russia had begun implementing the agreements reached with Ukrainian representatives — including the transfer of 6,000 UAF soldiers’ bodies as a humanitarian initiative. According to him, 1,212 bodies had already been delivered to the exchange point, with the rest on the way.

Medinsky claimed that Ukraine postponed the reception of the bodies and the prisoner exchange indefinitely, despite these being part of the agreements reached in Istanbul.