Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are ongoing, touching important humanitarian issues, despite the tense relations between countries.
According to The Washington Post, the parties agree on important aspects: the exchange of prisoners of war and the transfer of the bodies of the dead, as well as ensuring the passage of ships through the Black Sea ports. Recently, they began to discuss the return of Ukrainian children in Russia.
It is interesting that in a number of cases, mediators, such as Turkey, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Vatican and the International Committee of the Red Cross, were used to improve communication between Ukraine and Russia. However, most of the exchange of prisoners of war and bodies of the dead is carried out directly through individual representatives.
These contacts are made in the northeast of Ukraine in Sumy region, the only place where Russian troops are not actively moving. The exchange is often accompanied by a truce.
These negotiations and contacts between the parties are not disclosed, and most of the communication remains secret.
"It is very emotionally difficult. They are enemies, but if we talk about the negotiation process, this conflict of interest must be overcome. We understand what happened, whatever we have a relationship, we are as interested in returning our defenders as Ukrainians, and if we reject all communication channels, we will not be able to do it," The exchange of prisoners Dmitry Usov.
The Geneva Conventions provide for the exchange of prisoners of war after the fighting. However, Ukraine seeks to return its citizens faster through documented facts of their torture.
Turkey played an important role in providing a place to negotiate, becoming a neutral territory. Ukraine and Russia held meetings in Istanbul, attracting various intermediaries. The ability of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov to speak Turkish and to establish links in Turkey was valuable for resolving issues in this country.
It is important to note that despite the difficulties and conflicts of interest, humanitarian negotiations remain a priority for both parties. This testifies to the willingness to work together on solving human problems, even in the face of armed conflict.
