MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. Moscow expects a fourth round of peace talks with Ukraine following a major prisoner swap; the EU is preparing its 19th sanctions package against Russia by October; and tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated into intense military exchanges along their border. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Russia is hoping for a fourth round of negotiations with Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia. The third round took place on July 23 in Istanbul, where the two sides agreed to a prisoner exchange involving 1,200 captives each. Russia also proposed to form three working groups, focusing on humanitarian, political, and military matters, that would operate online. Ukraine agreed to consider the proposal. Experts told the newspaper, however, that the regime in Kiev appears more focused on consolidating power than on achieving a peaceful resolution. This was evidenced by its decision to restrict the powers of key anti-corruption institutions - the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office - which sparked widespread protests across Ukraine.
Russia expects a fourth round of talks, Galuzin stated. "The round was never going to be easy. As the head of the delegation [Vladimir Medinsky] noted, we put forward several ideas aimed at comprehensively advancing the dialogue. I’m referring to the initiative to establish three working groups, among other proposals. We believe it makes sense to continue negotiations," he told Izvestia.
