Moscow, Kiev continuing contacts at expert level - Peskov

MOSCOW. June 23 (Interfax) - Despite the exacerbation of the Middle East conflict, Moscow and Kiev are continuing contacts at an expert level, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"We're continuing our work as part of dialogue at an expert level, which is ongoing. The agreements reached during the second round of the Istanbul talks are being implemented," Peskov told journalists in reply to a corresponding question on Monday.

"Exchanges of prisoners and bodies are also continuing," he said.

There will be "more clarity about holding the third round of the negotiations" later this week, he said.

"Therefore, we're continuing the process, and certainly, we're concentrated above all on addressing our issues, those issues that are given priority on our agenda, namely the attainment of the goals set by President Putin at the start of the special military operation," Peskov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday that Russia insists on Ukraine's acknowledging the realities on the ground and is not seeking its surrender.

"We're not seeking Ukraine's surrender. We insist on acknowledging the realities on the ground," Putin said.

Replying to the moderator's remark that Russia's position regarding the Ukraine conflict is identical to U.S. President Donald Trump's demand of Iran's surrender regarding its nuclear program, Putin said, "This situation is not identical but is fundamentally different."