Thaw in hostilities? Russia, Ukraine agree to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each

Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, the head of Russia’s delegation Vladimir Medinsky said after their peace talks ended. Such an exchange would be their biggest POW swap since the start of the war in 2022. 

Medinsky also said Moscow and Kyiv agreed to provide each other with detailed proposals for a ceasefire. If the exchange goes ahead, it would be the biggest prisoner swap in more than three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

Ukraine requested a meeting between heads of state, and Russia will take it under consideration, he said, adding that Russia is ready to continue talks. 

Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan, who chaired talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Istanbul on May 16, said the meeting was an “important day for world peace”. 

In a statement posted to X (formally Twitter), Fidan said both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each as a “confidence-building measure”. 

Russian and Ukrainian officials also agreed to “share with the other side in writing the conditions that would make it possible to reach a ceasefire,” he wrote. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he has spoken with Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk on May 16. 

In a statement posted on social media, the Ukrainian leader wrote, “Ukraine is ready to take the fastest possible steps to bring real peace, and it is important that the world holds a strong stance. Our position — if the Russians reject a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings, tough sanctions must follow. Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war. Thank you to everyone in the world who is helping.”