Kathmandu: The Kremlin announced that a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will only occur if both nations agree to a ceasefire. This follows the first round of direct peace talks in over three years, recently held between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

The dialogue, initiated by Zelensky, came just a day before a Russian drone strike in eastern Sumy, which killed nine civilians and injured five, dampening hopes for immediate peace. In response, Zelensky urged stronger international sanctions against Russia, stating that without "strong pressure", real diplomacy would remain elusive.

The Istanbul talks, marking the first such interaction since spring 2022, led to a prisoner exchange deal, with each side agreeing to release 1,000 prisoners of war. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Umarov said the exchange would pave the way for a potential summit between the two presidents.

Russian officials echoed this stance. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that presidential-level discussions are contingent on achieving concrete progress, starting with the prisoner swap. Lead Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky added that both sides must present their vision for a ceasefire before future talks are scheduled.

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kirill Budanov, confirmed that the prisoner exchange is expected next week. Until then, both nations are under pressure to uphold the agreement and work toward a broader ceasefire framework.