Russia confirms Istanbul remains venue for Ukraine peace talks

Istanbul remains the venue for negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed on Thursday.

Responding to Anadolu's question at a press briefing in Moscow, Zakharova said the timing of the next round will be determined by the heads of delegations.

"We proceed from the assumption that Istanbul remains the venue. As for the date of the next round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, it will be determined by the heads of delegations," she said.

Zakharova also thanked Türkiye for its hospitality and continuous facilitation of the negotiation process.

After two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul in May and June, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a prisoner exchange based on the formula "one thousand for one thousand," as well as the return of severely ill and young servicemen under age 25.

In a separate statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that after completing all procedures related to the prisoner exchanges under the Istanbul agreements, "it will be time to determine the dates for the third round."