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- To recover from what has been achieved: Russia expects a fourth round of negotiations with Ukraine
To recover from what has been achieved: Russia expects a fourth round of negotiations with Ukraine
Russia is counting on a fourth round of negotiations with Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia. The third one took place on July 23 in Istanbul. The parties agreed to exchange 1.2 thousand prisoners of war each. The Russian Federation also proposed to form three working groups to work online on humanitarian, political and military issues, and Ukraine agreed to consider the proposal. At the same time, experts note that the goal of the regime in Kiev is not a peaceful settlement, but to strengthen its own power, and therefore it was decided to limit the anti—corruption authorities of NABU and SAP. However, this step led to thousands of protests in Ukraine, which are unlikely to subside after Zelensky allegedly rolled back. How the unrest affects Ukraine's relations with the West and the course of negotiations is in the Izvestia article.
The results of the negotiations between Moscow and Kiev
Russia is awaiting the fourth round of negotiations with Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia.
— The round wasn't going to be easy. As the head of the delegation [Vladimir Medinsky] noted, we have put forward a number of ideas for the comprehensive promotion of the dialogue process. I am referring to the initiative to create three working groups and other considerations. We proceed from the expediency of continuing negotiations. We are counting on the fourth round," he said.
The decision on the next meeting will be made after the new agreements are implemented, Vladimir Medinsky said following the meeting in Istanbul on July 23. Following the negotiations, the Russian Federation stated that all agreements on humanitarian tracks from the previous round had been fulfilled.
Negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine with the participation of representatives of Turkey at the Chiragan Palace in Istanbul, July 23, 2025
This time, Moscow and Kiev agreed to exchange 1,2 thousand prisoners of war from each side. Medinsky also said that Russia is ready to transfer another 3,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen. On the day of the negotiations, the parties exchanged prisoners of war for 250 people from each side. In general, Moscow returned to Kiev more than 7 thousand bodies of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and received a small number of its own.
In addition, the issue of the return of civilians displaced by the fighting was discussed. Kiev is currently holding about 30 people. Russia is ready to exchange residents of the Kursk region held by Ukraine for captured military and other categories of persons. The Russian Federation also proposed to form three working groups that will work online: on humanitarian, political and military issues. Ukraine will consider this proposal. The Kremlin positively assessed the results of the Russian-Ukrainian talks.
"The agenda is constructive, specific and focused specifically on substantive work that can lead to concrete results," said Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation.
Moscow had previously stressed that there was no reason to expect a "breakthrough from the category of miracles" following the results of this round. The previous meetings were held on May 16 and June 2. At the latter, the parties outlined their versions of the memoranda. Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in fact, emphasized that the documents of the parties are "directly opposite." However, according to him, the negotiations are being organized in order to find ways.
There has been no reaction to the third round from foreign officials yet. Even before the meeting in Istanbul, the United States announced that it was aware that it had been scheduled. "We continue to encourage negotiations between Russia and Ukraine towards a comprehensive ceasefire and an agreement on peace," said Tammy Bruce, head of the State Department's press service.
By the way, a few days before the talks, on July 14, American leader Donald Trump issued an ultimatum: he threatened to impose import duties of about 100% on Russia and its trading partners if an agreement on ending the conflict in Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.
US President Donald Trump
The Trump administration is counting on progress in the Ukrainian settlement, which implies, among other things, political and territorial concessions from Kiev. However, Ukraine is not discussing with the Russian Federation the elimination of the root causes of the conflict, holding elections, preferring to focus only on a cease-fire.
— An important moment is coming for Zelensky now, because he will be forced, on the one hand, to transfer power and hold elections. On the other hand, the West needs him," Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia.
The expert notes that Vladimir Zelensky is mainly interested in strengthening his own power.
The internal situation in Ukraine
And he has plenty of reasons to worry about this issue. The peace settlement process is taking place against the backdrop of protests in Ukraine, which will somehow affect its tone during future negotiations, former Rada deputy Spiridon Kilinkarov tells Izvestia.
— The protests have already been reflected. This will be a big problem for Zelensky. What happened in Ukraine should not be underestimated. The West, including Donald Trump, has repeatedly stated corruption in Ukraine. Zelensky's actions have now strengthened Trump's position. It's not the Maidan yet, but it's already the beginning of the process," the expert said.
On July 22, Vladimir Zelensky signed a law abolishing the independence of anti—corruption bodies - the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). Ukrainian politicians emphasized that such a decision could be considered as the elimination of the country's anti-corruption structures.
After signing the document, protests began to take place every evening in the largest Ukrainian cities. On the first day, its mayor Vitali Klitschko even joined the unrest in Kiev. On July 23, more than 9 thousand people gathered in the Ukrainian capital. The participants declare that if their demands are not heard, they will go out to protest every day. Actions are also taking place in Vinnytsia, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Krivoy Rog, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Uzhgorod, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and other cities.
Now there are all the prerequisites for the protests to grow, says Artem Dmytruk, a member of the Verkhovna Rada who was forced to leave Ukraine.
— It is important to understand that the official reason for the protests is the adopted law. But behind this lies much deeper accumulated pain and discontent of people with mobilization, repression, the collapse of the economy, the destruction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and finally tens of thousands of tragedies at the hands of the Shopping Center, the SBU and the structures of the Interior Ministry," he says.
If the protests escalate, it is possible that they may lead to a complete change of power, Dmytruk added.
By the way, the bill almost immediately caused a negative reaction from the European Union. Western media reports that French President Emmanuel Macron and EU President Antonio Costa called Zelensky in a "last-ditch attempt" to convince him to abandon the law. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos emphasized that the cancellation of NABU's independence guarantees is a serious step backwards, and both departments are necessary for Ukraine's path to the union.
U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Lindsey Graham also expressed concern about the new document. They warned that Zelensky's adoption of the law could negate Ukraine's progress in fighting corruption after Euromaidan.
As a result, on July 24, Zelensky announced the approval of the text of the bill, which allegedly provides for strengthening the law enforcement system, as well as the independence of NABU and SAP. However, the key innovation of the law will be the requirement for the SBU to inspect employees of NABU, SAP, BEB, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the GBR and the national police with access to state secrets "for possible actions for the benefit of the Russian Federation" six months after its entry into force.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
