Putin expresses commitment to peace agreement on Ukraine in talks with Erdogan

(Patria) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone call with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he is ready to seek a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

"Speaking about Ukraine, Vladimir Putin confirmed his principled commitment to finding a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict," the Kremlin press service said yesterday, TASS reported.

The second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine was held on June 2 in Istanbul. The sides exchanged memorandums clarifying their conditions for resolving the conflict.

They also agreed to carry out an "all-for-all" exchange of seriously ill prisoners of war and those under 25 years of age - at least 1,000 people from each side.

In addition, the sides agreed that Russia would hand over the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv.

Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led Moscow's delegation at the talks, said on Monday that Russia had fulfilled its obligation by transferring the bodies of 6,060 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv.

The first round of talks was held in Istanbul on May 16, and the sides agreed on a prisoner exchange in a ratio of 1,000 for 1,000 and exchanged memorandums on ways to resolve the crisis.