This statement comes after Ukraine and Russia negotiated POWs exchange in the second round of talks, held in Istanbul on June 2.
"President Donald Trump and State Secretary Marco Rubio emphasized that 'the only sustainable resolution to the conflict is through direct negotiations between the parties'," Bruce said.
"At the same time, the United States remains in close contact with both sides at the highest levels."
Bruce added that Washington welcomes the developments made in this exchange — particularly the return of severely wounded prisoners, young service members under 25, and the repatriation of the bodies of fallen soldiers.
“We welcome this progress at this stage,” she said.
On June 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and Russia had carried out the second stage of a prisoner exchange under the agreements reached in Istanbul. Among those released were service members from the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, Air Assault Forces, Navy, Territorial Defense, and the State Special Transport Service. Most of them had been captured in the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
On June 9, Ukraine and the aggressor state Russia conducted a prisoner exchange under the Istanbul framework, specifically involving citizens under the age of 25. Zelenskyy noted that the exchanges will continue in several phases over the coming days.
On June 2, the second round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations took place in Istanbul, where both sides agreed to a phased “all-for-all” exchange involving the seriously ill, wounded, and prisoners under 25.
Zelenskyy said on June 2 that under this new agreement, Ukraine could potentially bring home up to 1,200 of its citizens.