Putin says Russia is ready to hold more talks with Ukraine, return more bodies

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union summit, in Minsk, Belarus June 27, 2025. Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia was ready to hold a new round of peace negotiations with Ukraine, potentially in Istanbul, although the time and venue had yet to be agreed.

Putin said there were big differences between the proposals submitted by the two sides at previous talks but expressed hope that continued dialogue would help narrow the gap.

Putin told reporters in Minsk that the two sides' negotiators were in constant contact. Russia was ready to return the bodies of 3,000 more Ukrainian soldiers, he said.

(Reporting by Vladimir SoldatkinWriting by Maxim RodionovEditing by Mark Trevelyan)