On May 17, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call initiated by the U.S. side to discuss the outcomes of recent Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two diplomats exchanged views on the results of the Istanbul negotiations, where both sides agreed on a prisoner exchange formula of 1,000 for 1,000, and began preparing detailed concepts for a potential ceasefire.
Rubio welcomed the agreements on prisoner exchanges and the preparation of ceasefire conditions, emphasizing Washington’s readiness to continue assisting in efforts to resolve the conflict.
Lavrov, on his part, noted the positive role of the U.S. in Kyiv’s acceptance of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to resume talks in Istanbul and confirmed Moscow’s willingness to continue cooperation with the U.S. in this process.
The conversation also covered other international and regional issues, with both sides exchanging views on Russia-U.S. relations.
The talks held on May 16 in Istanbul marked a significant step, with Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky expressing satisfaction with the negotiation outcomes.
