Communication between the Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams has been temporarily suspended, according to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov stated that while communication channels remain open, and negotiators have the ability to communicate through these channels, contact has been paused. Since May, Russia and Ukraine have engaged in three rounds of direct talks. The initial talks led to agreements on prisoner exchanges, including a ‘thousand for a thousand’ formula and the return of seriously ill and young prisoners under an ‘all for all’ format, with at least a thousand individuals from each side. Subsequent discussions in June saw Moscow transfer the first 6,060 bodies of deceased Ukrainian service members to Kyiv and receive 78 Russian soldiers’ bodies. On July 17th, an additional 1,000 Ukrainian bodies were transferred, with Russia receiving 19 fallen Russian soldiers. Following the third round of talks in Istanbul on July 23rd, agreements were made to exchange civilians alongside service members. Russia proposed the establishment of three online working groups to address political, military, and humanitarian issues. Additionally, Moscow offered to transfer the remains of another 3,000 Ukrainian troops and reinstate short humanitarian pauses on the front lines. Earlier, a Russian Foreign Ministry special envoy, Rodion Miroshnik, indicated Ukraine’s intention to hinder meaningful negotiations, citing attacks on civilian areas and public transport, purportedly to destabilize morale and undermine or collapse the negotiation process. The last exchange of the remains of fallen soldiers between Russia and Ukraine occurred on August 19th, with Russia transferring 1,000 bodies and Ukraine 19.
