Latest news with #IstanbulAgreements
Kuwait Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Power of diplomacy and the pain of war in Ukraine and ME
By Mykola Dzhydzhora Despite the ongoing full-scale war and daily air strikes against residential areas in Ukraine, we went to Istanbul earlier this month for a second round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. During these difficult negotiations, we have managed with the notable Turkish mediation to reach specific humanitarian agreements. One of the first practical results of these agreements was a new large-scale exchange of prisoners of war, which included individuals under the age of 25 and severely injured servicemen. This large-scale exchange is a crucial humanitarian act that has made it possible to release many of those who were previously considered missing. The repatriation of deceased Ukrainian citizens, including servicemen, took place also earlier this month. Ukraine received 6,057 bodies in accordance with the Istanbul Agreements. Identification is ongoing, and families are finally being given the opportunity to bid farewell to their loved ones with dignity. This is a moral obligation of the state towards those who paid the ultimate price for Ukraine's freedom. Another issue of moral importance is the issue of the Ukrainian children who were illegally deported or forcibly transferred from Ukraine to Russia. Ukraine has officially documented over 19,500 cases of the forcible removal of Ukrainian children, and insists on the return to Ukraine of all children in accordance with the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. As for the Palestine, Ukrainians deeply feel the pain of war and understand the suffering of civilians. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has repeatedly called on all parties to this conflict to strictly adhere to the international humanitarian law. Ukraine has always supported the two-state solution and advocates for the peaceful resolution of this conflict through political and diplomatic means. In the context of the humanitarian program 'Grain from Ukraine', in March 2025, 553 tons of wheat flour were delivered to Palestine. At the end of February 2025 , a shipment of 400 tons of wheat flour was delivered to Syria, which, according to the World Food Program, will provide bread for almost 60,000 Syrians for 6 months. As for Iran, Ukraine is closely following with concern the recent military confrontation. Aware of the risks of further destabilization of the entire region, we note that continued hostilities could have negative consequences for international security and global financial stability - particularly in oil markets. It is essential to avoid further destabilization of the region and prevent civilian casualties. We are convinced that restoring peace and stability in the Middle East serves the interest not only of this region but also the entire international community including Ukraine. Note: Mykola Dzhydzhora is the Charge d'Affaires of Ukraine to the State of Kuwait
Arab News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Zelensky says Ukraine halted Russian troop advance in Sumy region
KYIV: Ukrainian forces have stopped Russian troops advancing in the northeastern Sumy region and are now battling to regain control along the border with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. In remarks released for publication by his office on Saturday, Zelensky said that Moscow has amassed about 53,000 troops in the direction of Sumy. 'We are leveling the position. The fighting there is along the border. You should understand that the enemy has been stopped there. And the maximum depth at which the fighting takes place is 7 km from the border,' Zelensky said. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia conducted another POW swap — the fourth one in a week — the warring sides said on Saturday, under agreements reached in Istanbul earlier this month. 'We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week,' President Zelensky wrote on social media. 'In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements ... another group of Russian servicemen was returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime,' Russia's Defense Ministry said on Telegram. Kyiv also said it had received another batch of 1,200 unidentified bodies from Russia, which it said Russia claimed 'belong to Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel,' as part of the Istanbul agreements as well. Ukraine did not say whether it returned any bodies to Russia. Some were injured, others disembarked from buses and hugged those welcoming them, or were seen calling someone by phone, sometimes covering their faces or smiling. Moscow's Defense Ministry released its own video showing men in uniforms holding Russian flags, clapping and chanting 'Russia, Russia,' 'glory to Russia' and 'hooray,' some raising their fists in the air.
CNA
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Ukraine and Russia conduct another POW swap
KYIV: Ukraine and Russia conducted another POW swap - the fourth one in a week - the warring sides said on Saturday (Jun 14), under agreements reached in Istanbul earlier this month. "We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. "In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements ... another group of Russian servicemen was returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram. Kyiv also said it had received another batch of 1,200 unidentified bodies from Russia, which it said Russia claimed "belong to Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel," as part of the Istanbul agreements as well. Photos published by Zelenskyy on Telegram showed men of various ages, mostly with shaved heads, wearing camouflage and draped in Ukrainian flags. Some were injured, others disembarked from buses and hugged those welcoming them, or were seen calling someone by phone, sometimes covering their faces or smiling. Moscow's defence ministry released its own video showing men in uniforms holding Russian flags, clapping and chanting "Russia, Russia", "glory to Russia" and "hooray", some raising their fists in the air. The exchange came as Russia repeatedly rejected ceasefire calls and intensified its offensive along the front line, and especially in the northeastern Sumy region, where it seeks to establish a "buffer zone" to protect its Kursk region, previously partly occupied by Ukraine. Zelenskyy claimed Russia's advance on Sumy was stopped, adding that Kyiv's forces have managed to retake one village.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine brings back officers in emotional prisoner exchange on 14 June
Ukraine brought back another group of prisoners of war from Russian captivity on 14 June 2025, most of them officers, as part of exchanges under the Istanbul agreements. Complex negotiations on the next stages of the exchange are ongoing. Source: Major Andrii Yusov, Deputy Head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and a representative of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in comments to Ukrainska Pravda and on air during the national 27/7 newscast; videos from the Coordination Headquarters; Defence Minister Rustem Umierov on Facebook; State Border Guard Service Quote from Yusov: "A distinctive feature of today's stage of the exchange is that it combines two categories agreed upon in Istanbul: the seriously ill and severely wounded, and young defenders aged 25 and under. Most of those brought back today are Ukrainian officers. It's no secret that throughout the full-scale invasion, getting officers back has been a particularly difficult task. The emotions of the families today, some of whom have waited for over three years, are difficult to put into words, and this is inspiring. The work will continue." Details: Yusov emphasised that for security reasons, the Coordination Headquarters is not disclosing the number of prisoners of war released until the major exchange under the Istanbul agreements is complete, as negotiations are ongoing. He noted that the week's repatriation efforts have been dogged by information attacks, pressure on the negotiating team and prisoners' families, and Russian misinformation. "Nevertheless, Ukraine is holding firm, the negotiating group is working, and we are bringing our people home," Yusov added. More details: Yusov confirmed that repatriation measures also took place on Saturday 14 June, and he refuted Russian propaganda claims that Ukraine has been refusing to collect the bodies of its fallen soldiers. He stated that the process is ongoing. Regarding the duration of the large-scale exchange, Yusov did not provide a specific timeline, saying: "This week has been very intense, and I think the coming days are going to be no less stressful." Background: The Istanbul agreements reached on 2 June 2025 include an all-for-all exchange of severely wounded and young soldiers (aged 18-25) and a 6,000-for-6,000 repatriation of fallen soldiers' bodies. Previous exchanges this week have brought back Mariupol defenders and other seriously injured captives. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Ukraine and Russia conduct another POW swap
Ukraine and Russia conducted another POW swap -- the fourth one in a week -- the warring sides said on Saturday, under agreements reached in Istanbul earlier this month. "We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media. "In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements... another group of Russian servicemen was returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram. Kyiv also said it had received another batch of 1,200 unidentified bodies from Russia, which it said Russia claimed "belong to Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel," as part of the Istanbul agreements as well. Ukraine did not say whether it returned any bodies to Russia. Photos published by Zelensky on Telegram showed men of various ages, mostly with shaved heads, wearing camouflage and draped in Ukrainian flags. Some were injured, others disembarked from buses and hugged those welcoming them, or were seen calling someone by phone, sometimes covering their faces or smiling. Moscow's defence ministry released its own video showing men in uniforms holding Russian flags, clapping and chanting "Russia, Russia", "glory to Russia" and "hooray", some raising their fists in the air. The exchange came as Russia repeatedly rejected ceasefire calls and intensified its offensive along the front line, and especially in the northeastern Sumy region, where it seeks to establish a "buffer zone" to protect its Kursk region, previously partly occupied by Ukraine. Zelensky claimed Russia's advance on Sumy was stopped, adding that Kyiv's forces have managed to retake one village. According to the Ukrainian president, Russia was using 53,000 men in the Sumy operation.
