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Ukraine and Russia Agree Prisoner Swap in Ankara Talks 

Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)
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Ukraine and Russia Agree Prisoner Swap in Ankara Talks 

Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)
Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets meet in Ankara, Türkiye, January 11, 2023. (Reuters)

Russia and Ukraine have agreed on an exchange of 40 prisoners of war, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said on Wednesday after meeting her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets in Türkiye. 

Moskalkova and Lubinets met on the sidelines of an international ombudsman conference in Ankara. Photos showed them sitting on opposite sides of a table. 

The initial talks lasted for some 40 minutes. A second round began at 0920 GMT. 

As they met, a battle was raging for the small town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine. 

Earlier, Moskalkova had said on the Telegram messaging app that she and Lubinets had discussed humanitarian assistance for citizens of both Russia and Ukraine. 

They were later expected to visit the Turkish presidential palace, where President Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to make a speech for the conference at 1130 GMT. 

A Turkish source said Moskalkova and Lubinets might discuss a humanitarian corridor and the situation of children who had fled the war. 

Russia and Ukraine have conducted numerous prisoner swaps - most recently on Sunday - in the course of the war, which is now in its 11th month. 

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Russia Becomes First Country to Formally Recognize Taliban’s Latest Rule in Afghanistan

In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service on Oct. 4, 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi pose for a photo prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP, File)
In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service on Oct. 4, 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi pose for a photo prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP, File)
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Russia Becomes First Country to Formally Recognize Taliban’s Latest Rule in Afghanistan

In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service on Oct. 4, 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi pose for a photo prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP, File)
In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service on Oct. 4, 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan's Taliban movement Amir Khan Muttaqi pose for a photo prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

Russia on Thursday became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organizations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan’s newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster “productive bilateral cooperation,” the ministry said in a statement.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as "a good example for other countries.”

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Since then, they have sought international recognition while also enforcing their strict interpretation of religious law.

While no country had formally recognized the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.

Still, the Taliban government has been relatively isolated on the world stage, largely over its restrictions on women.

Russian officials have recently been emphasizing the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilize Afghanistan, and lifted a ban on the Taliban in April.

Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said in remarks broadcast by state Channel One television that the decision to officially recognize the Taliban government was made by President Vladimir Putin on advice from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Zhirnov said the decision proves Russia’s “sincere striving for the development of full-fledged relations with Afghanistan.”