A show for European old ladies — Medinsky about the demand to return "hundreds of children"

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, called Kiev's call at the talks in Istanbul "to return hundreds of children taken to Russia," according to The Economist journalist Oliver Carroll, citing a source, "a show for European old ladies."

"Do not arrange childless shows for compassionate European old ladies," Medinsky said.

During the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation handed over to the Russian side a list of names of children who need to be returned to their homeland, said the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak. Yermak described the transfer of the list as "the first test of the sincerity of intentions" of Russia and noted that we are talking about "hundreds of children."

According to Medinsky, there are 339 surnames on the list of such children.

"Not millions and not thousands, we will work on each of them," Medinsky said.

As soon as there are legal representatives, reunification takes place immediately, he stressed.

The talks in Istanbul lasted just over an hour and touched upon the issues of a truce, an exchange of prisoners and a possible meeting of the leaders of the two countries.