Russia responded to Zelensky’s statement about the impossibility of negotiations until all exchanges are completed

The condition set by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—that the next round of negotiations with Russia cannot take place until agreed prisoner exchanges are completed—is merely an excuse to delay peace talks.

This statement says Alexey Chepa, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.

“We immediately prepared for exchange young captured soldiers, the wounded, and the bodies of the deceased, but on the other side all this was being sabotaged. And today this sabotage continues. In the face of this sabotage, to say that there will be no talks until someone somewhere carries out these exchanges (…) We have been ready for a long time, we do everything very quickly, so this cannot serve as a delay of negotiations,” Chepa said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had stated that there would be no next round of Moscow–Kyiv talks until the exchanges agreed in Istanbul were completed.

Earlier, the Kremlin said it was awaiting signals from Kyiv regarding a new round of negotiations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian sides would be in Kyiv’s interest, given the situation developing on the front.