Moscow: The Kremlin announced on Saturday that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "is possible, provided it is preceded by agreements concluded between Moscow and Kyiv." Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that each side has exchanged conditions for a truce, emphasizing that a meeting between the two presidents is contingent on reaching such agreements.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, confirmed that Moscow has acknowledged Kyiv's request for a summit between the two presidents. Additionally, a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry highlighted a phone call between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. During the call, Lavrov recognized the positive role of the United States in encouraging Kyiv to accept President Putin's proposal to resume the Istanbul talks, expressing Moscow's readiness to continue collaborating with Washington on the matter.

Istanbul recently hosted a meeting between the two sides, marking the first direct talks since 2022. Although the discussions did not result in a truce, both parties agreed to a prisoner exchange and considered the possibility of a meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelensky.

The Kremlin reiterated that ongoing talks with Kyiv hinge on the prisoner exchange agreed upon during the Istanbul meeting. Peskov underscored the importance of implementing the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from both sides as a priority. Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov expressed optimism that this exchange could occur next week.