The Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners reportedly agreed to exchange 40 war prisoners at a crucial meeting hosted by Türkiye in another sign of advancing negotiations as the war nears to complete a year.
Russia’s Tatiana Moskalkova revealed via Telegram on Tuesday that she came together with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets at a meeting chaired by Türkiye’s Chief Ombudsman Şeref Malkoç in the capital Ankara.
"We discussed issues of providing humanitarian assistance to citizens of the two countries," Moskalkova said.
Before the meeting, Lubinets had noted that the agenda of the discussions was to "return of our heroes and heroines," a reference to prisoner exchanges. "Kyiv wants the return of its civilian hostages, whom the Russian Federation has detained en masse in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and whom it does not allow to go home," he added.
Malkoç also urged “the whole of humanity to strive for a cease-fire and an honorable peace that will protect Ukraine's territorial integrity.”
The crucial meeting took place on the sidelines of an international ombudsman conference on “The Future of Human Rights in the 21st Century”, organized by the Ombudsman Institution (KDK) and the European Union.
The conference emerges as a big opportunity for the sides to make progress in peace talks, which haven’t been renewed since initial negotiations collapsed in the early months of Russia’s invasion.
Following the meeting, Lubinets told reporters that he and Moskalkova discussed the issue of releasing civilian prisoners in lands Ukraine liberated since 2014, whom Kyiv “does not consider to be criminals”.
“Children had to be separated from their families after these invasions. We have raised solutions to reunite families. There are many problems regarding prisoners but they remain unsolved. Russia is not doing what needs to be done,” he argued.
He said where the prisoners were kept and the trilateral meeting were “important” for Kyiv.
Praising Malkoç for his “wonderful” contribution to the process, the Ukrainian ombudsman thanked Türkiye and Erdoğan for their “major support”.
“We believe Türkiye’s support in the resolving of humanitarian issues and the grain corridor deal has been vital,” he said, adding that their meetings would continue as the potential exchange of “thousands” was at stake.
For her part, Moskalkova said “important words about the need for a cease-fire” had been exchanged with Lubinets and Malkoç.
“A cease-fire is necessary to stop human rights violations,” Moskalkova noted.
She explained that she asked Lubinets’ help to bring some Ukrainian citizens to their families living in Russia. “Some people with severe illnesses need ombudsmen’s help because the humanitarian corridor struggles to function sometimes,” she said.
The two discussed allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross to work in the area, which has the authority to visit prisoners. “They’re helping families with sending their letters,” Moskalkova said.
There are troubles with medical help, as well, the Russian ombudsman added. “And about the missing persons. We’re doing our best to search for the missing with our soldiers and the special service. Humanitarian corridors can be set up based on circumstance and that is the job of the military ministers of both nations,” she explained.
She further noted that Türkiye was currently “the best place” for hosting the wounded and prisoners. “That’s why people can travel to other countries through Türkiye,” she said.
Clear dates cannot be named for concrete steps, however, the sides agreed on what exactly they expect one from one another, Moskalkova said. “We’re discussing delivering humanitarian aid to these people as soon as possible.”
She also revealed she asked Türkiye to “stop supplying arms to Ukraine.”
Kyiv has been using unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), namely Bayraktar TB2s made by the Turkish company Baykar, since the beginning of the war to hunt down Russian military gear from howitzers to air defense systems.
NATO member Türkiye has close ties with both nations and has sought to balance relations through the war. It has criticized Moscow's invasion and provided Ukraine with arms, including drones, which significantly deterred a Russian advance early in the conflict.
Ankara refuses to join the West in imposing sanctions on Russia and has also cited its reliance on Russian energy supplies. It has been actively working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between the warring sides, as well as, leading a delicately balanced mediator role by keeping communication channels with both sides open, calling for diplomatic efforts and stressing that the war can only “end at the negotiation table.”
It has been aiming to help establish a humanitarian corridor for a long while too.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Tuesday said there were “new parameters and new realities” and reminded that Moscow voiced readiness for peace talks while Kyiv announced a 10-point peace plan.
Since Russia launched its military operation in February last year, Turkish mediation has facilitated a swap of some 200 prisoners in September and the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul that reopened specific Ukrainian ports for releasing grain that had been stuck for months, effectively fending off worsening a global food crisis.
Just last week, Erdoğan discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy issues related to humanitarian assistance, the grain corridor, and Türkiye’s readiness to diplomatically contribute to the peace process.
In a separate phone call, Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that peace and negotiation calls must be supported by a unilateral cease-fire as well as a vision for a fair solution.
