Heads of Ukrainian and Russian delegations reportedly held one-on-one meeting before talks

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul, and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov held a bilateral meeting ahead of the talks.

Source: TASS, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet, citing Medinsky

Details: According to media reports, the meeting lasted two and a half hours. Medinsky said that it "played an important role in preparing for the general session of negotiations".

Background:

• The meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, which lasted just over an hour, was the second after the negotiations on 16 May.
• Prior to the talks with the Russians, Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia and Oleksandr Bevz, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, met with representatives of three of Ukraine's European partners – Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
• Following the talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed on an  all-for-all prisoner exchange of seriously wounded and young servicemen.

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