Russia proposes 2-3-day ceasefire in some areas of front to retrieve bodies of the fallen, Medinsky says

Russia has proposed Ukraine a temporary ceasefire for two or three days in certain areas of the front line to collect the bodies of the fallen soldiers, Vladimir Medinsky, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide and head of the country’s delegation to Istanbul, said during a press conference on June 2.

Medinsky’s statement comes hours after the conclusion of the second round of the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul.

Ukraine has not yet reacted to the Russian proposal. According to a source in the President’s Office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Russia declined a ceasefire proposed by Ukraine.

According to Medinsky, Russia will also transfer 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and officers.

“We identified all (the bodies) that we could, conducted DNA tests, found out who they were. Next week, we will transfer these bodies to the Ukrainian side in an organized way by special trains so that they can bury them humanely,” Medinsky said.

Medinsky added that Ukraine and Russia also agreed to exchange severely wounded people and those under 25.

A representative of the Russian delegation also showed a list handed over by Ukraine during the talks. The list included 339 names of children abducted by Russia and whom Ukraine wants to return to their homes.

Medinsky denied Kyiv’s accusations, claiming that Russia did not abduct the children.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has identified over 19,500 children who were forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or Russian-occupied territories. To date, only around 1,300 have been returned to Ukrainian-controlled areas, according to official data.

The abduction of Ukrainian children has drawn international condemnation. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of overseeing the forced deportations.

Earlier this month, the European Parliament passed a resolution labeling Russia’s actions a “genocidal strategy” aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity, and demanded the unconditional return of all abducted minors.

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As Ukraine and Russia prepare for peace talks scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul, few observers expect a breakthrough. While the U.S. and Ukraine have pushed for an unconditional ceasefire, the Kremlin has rejected it. Instead, Moscow has regularly voiced maximalist demands that are unlikely to be accepted by

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov