Russia and Ukraine are planning a new iteration of prisoner exchange following the latest round of peace talks in Istanbul, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.
“The talks in Istanbul have just ended,” he told reporters in Vilnius. “We are preparing a new release of prisoners of the war.”
According to Zelensky, if Russia turns the meeting in Istanbul into “empty talk”, fresh pressure and new sanctions targeting the Kremlin’s oil trade will be needed.
“We need to work on joint sanctions at the G7 level, including with the United States and with everyone in the world who wants peace. It’s very, very important that each of our partners supports this exact approach,” the Ukrainian leader said.
“Sanctions, including secondary ones, tariffs and price caps, can work and push Russia toward peace. Without pressure, Putin will just keep playing games with everyone who wants this war to end,” he argued.
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