Putin Reaffirms Commitment to Diplomacy in Ukraine Conflict in Call with Erdogan

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his dedication to a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin announced on Friday.

"Talking about Ukraine, Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his principled commitment to find a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict," the statement reads.

On June 2, the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks took place in Istanbul, Türkiye. The parties exchanged memoranda clarifying their terms for the resolution of the conflict.

They also agreed to carry out an "all-for-all" exchange of seriously ill prisoners of war and those under 25 years - at least 1,000 people on each side.

In addition, the parties agreed that Russia would hand over the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev. Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow’s delegation to the talks, confirmed Monday that Russia honored its commitment by transferring the bodies of 6,060 Ukrainian service members to Kyiv.

The first round of talks was held in Istanbul on May 16, with the parties agreeing to a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange and exchanging memorandums on ways to resolve the crisis.