(Reuters) -The next set of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia – the first meeting in seven weeks – is planned for Wednesday in Turkey, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy quoted the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council as saying on Monday.
Zelenskiy’s statement followed his fresh appeal earlier in the day for greater momentum in negotiations.
The Kremlin said it was waiting for an understanding on the date of the talks, but acknowledged that the two sides were “diametrically opposed” in their positions on how to end the war.
“Today I discussed with Rustem Umerov the preparation for a prisoner exchange and another meeting with the Russian side in Turkey,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
“Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday. More details will follow tomorrow.”
Umerov, previously defence minister and appointed Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council last week, headed the first two rounds of talks with Russia.
An unidentified source had earlier told Russian state news agency TASS that negotiators may meet in Turkey on Thursday and Friday.
Zelenskiy earlier told a gathering of his diplomats in Kyiv: “We need greater momentum in negotiations to end the war.”
He added: “The agenda from our side is clear: the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, and the preparation of a leaders’ meeting.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is under increasing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to show progress towards ending the conflict, turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person.
Putin has repeatedly said he does not see Zelenskiy as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when his five-year mandate expired last year.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “There is our draft memorandum, there is a draft memorandum that has been handed over by the Ukrainian side. There is to be an exchange of views and talks on these two drafts, which are diametrically opposed so far.”
Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul, on May 16 and June 2, that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But the two sides have made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end almost three and a half years of war.
Trump said last week he would impose new sanctions in 50 days on Russia and countries that buy its exports if there is no deal before then to end the conflict.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov in Moscow and Yuliia Dysa in Warsaw; writing by Mark Trevelyan and Ron Popeski; editing by Mark Heinrich and Marguerita Choy)
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