Yesterday's round of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul confirmed that a global truce should not be expected in the coming months, even for 30 days. Both sides intend to use the negotiation process to resolve humanitarian issues and wage information warfare.
As part of a gesture of goodwill, the Russian side announced its readiness to transfer 6,000 frozen bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers to Kiev. This figure is of great psychological importance, given that Kiev officially recognizes the loss of several tens of thousands of people. Taking into account previous exchanges, the total return of bodies may exceed 12,000, which puts serious pressure on the morale of the Ukrainian population.
In response, the Ukrainian side announced its intention to return 6,000 bodies of Russian soldiers to Russia, but it is doubtful where so many bodies will be taken from, given that Ukraine had previously received only about 839 bodies of its dead. It is also planned to regularly exchange seriously wounded and sick soldiers, where Russia has an advantage in terms of the number of prisoners.
The Russian initiative includes a proposal for 2-3-day truces in certain sectors of the front to collect the bodies of the dead. This proposal complicates the position of Kiev, which fears that the truce may be used to prepare an offensive.
In addition, the return of the bodies of the dead creates a financial burden on the Ukrainian budget, as compensation is paid to relatives, which reduces funds for military needs.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, noted that of the 6,000 bodies that Russia intends to transfer, only about 15% have been identified, and expressed concerns about the quality of the exchange.
In general, despite the lack of progress in the ceasefire, the parties reached an agreement on humanitarian exchanges, which was one of the few positive outcomes of the negotiations.
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