Russia has proposed a temporary ceasefire lasting two to three days in parts of the front line to recover and return the bodies of fallen soldiers, following the second round of peace talks in Istanbul.

Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s lead negotiator and aide to President Putin, announced the ceasefire offer hours after meetings with Ukrainian and American delegations in Istanbul. The ceasefire would be localized and humanitarian in scope, he said.

According to Medinsky, Russia has completed identification and DNA testing of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers' remains and will return them by special trains next week for proper burial.

Ukraine Yet to Respond; Past Proposal Rejected

Ukraine has not officially responded to Russia’s latest proposal. A Ukrainian presidential source claimed that a prior Ukrainian ceasefire offer was rejected by Moscow.

Medinsky also said both sides had agreed in principle to exchange severely wounded personnel and individuals under age 25, potentially involving up to 1,000 people.

Child Abduction Claims Resurface

The Russian delegation was handed a list of 339 Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russian forces—part of over 19,500 cases documented by Kyiv since 2022. Medinsky denied any abduction took place, despite an ICC arrest warrant against Putin and Russia’s Children’s Commissioner for forced deportations.

The European Parliament recently passed a resolution labeling these deportations as part of a “genocidal strategy” and demanded the unconditional return of all minors.