President Volodymyr Zelensky said he met with National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak to discuss the negotiation track with Russia — in particular, the implementation of agreements reached during previous meetings in Istanbul and preparations for a new round of talks.
One of the key issues remains the continuation of prisoner exchanges. According to Zelensky, there is a preliminary agreement to exchange 1,200 people, and efforts are underway to finalize the lists. Umerov reported on direct communication with the Russian representative, and additional work is being done to unblock the return of Ukrainian civilians, with efforts to verify data on each individual.
Yermak, in turn, informed the President about ongoing cooperation with key international partners, including contacts with the United States, and outlined efforts to return Ukrainian children who were abducted and taken to Russia.
The meeting also focused on preparations for upcoming meetings of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff. Among the topics to be discussed are the readiness of Ukraine’s energy sector and critical infrastructure for the winter season, strengthening of air defense, and Ukraine’s long-range strikes targeting Russian logistics.
Zelensky emphasized that an audit of the implementation of National Security Council and Staff decisions is ongoing. Unfortunately, some decisions have not yet been implemented — this, he stressed, will be promptly addressed.