The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, discussed preparations for a new meeting with the Russian side in Istanbul.

The head of state reported this via his Telegram channel.

"We discussed the negotiation track with Secretary Umerov and Head of the Office Andriy Yermak, focusing on the execution of agreements from previous meetings with Russia and preparing for a new meeting," Zelensky stated.

Among the key topics was the continuation of prisoner exchanges.

"An agreement has been reached for the exchange of 1200 people, and we are currently working on the lists. The Secretary of the NSDC reported on communication with the Russian representative. We are also working to facilitate the return of our civilians, checking information on each name," the President added.

For his part, Yermak reported on cooperation with key partners who are assisting Ukrainian diplomacy.

President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is ready for a meeting at the leadership level if Russia is genuinely interested in ending the war honorably and establishing lasting peace.