Kellogg calls POW swap the most positive result of meeting in Istanbul, notes Umerov's merit
The exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia was the most positive result of the talks in Istanbul last week, noted US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
“The most positive outcome of last week’s UKR-RU technical talks in Istanbul: 1,000 soldiers per side set for repatriation, with 400+ already returned. Credit to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for helping drive it,” Kellogg said on X Saturday.
He also stressed the need of the ceasefire and that “the killing needs to stop.”
As reported, on May 16, following a meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, Rustem Umerov, said that during the talks the parties had agreed to conduct a prisoner exchange in the "1,000 for 1,000" format. On May 19, Umerov said that a step-by-step plan for implementing the agreement on the exchange of prisoners in the "1,000 for 1,000" format had been agreed upon, taking into account security, humanitarian and logistical aspects.
On Friday, 390 Ukrainians managed to return to Ukraine from Russian captivity; the exchange is expected to continue on Saturday and Sunday.
