MOSCOW, June 3. /TASS/. The talks between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul were not expected to yield any breakthroughs or immediate decisions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Of course, it would be wrong to expect some immediate decisions or breakthroughs," he said in response to a TASS question. "But work continues," he added.
The second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed in Istanbul on June 2. The meeting lasted a little over an hour, during which the delegations communicated in Russian. The two sides exchanged memorandums on their visions for settling the conflict. Vladimir Medinsky, the presidential aide heading the Russian delegation, said that Russia had given the Ukrainian side a memorandum consisting of two parts. According to Medinsky, the second part lists ways to establish a ceasefire. Medinsky also announced that Russia would unilaterally return 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen to Ukraine.
Additionally, Russia and Ukraine agreed to swap severely injured and young servicemen (under 25) on the "all for all" formula, which includes at least 1,000 people on each side. Russia also proposed a ceasefire for two or three days in designated areas along the front lines. Medinsky also said that Ukraine gave Russia a list of 339 children who lost touch with their parents. In turn, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, said that Kiev proposes holding the third round of talks sometime from June 20 to 30.