Ukraine and Russia carried out a large prisoner swap on Friday, marking a significant development following their first direct talks in over three years of conflict.
President Trump confirmed the swap in a Truth Social post early Friday, congratulating both sides on the negotiation and suggesting it “could lead to something big???”
The exchange, agreed upon during tense two-hour talks in Istanbul last week, involved swapping 1,000 prisoners each. While the talks didn’t result in a cease-fire agreement proposed by Trump, the prisoner swap was the main tangible outcome. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said they discussed the “1,000 for 1,000” exchange and other arrangements during the meeting. Previous swaps were mediated by the UAE. The exchange had begun but was not yet complete, with Moscow yet to confirm it officially. Despite hopes that this could open the door to ending the war, Russia has repeatedly rejected a US-backed 30-day cease-fire that Ukraine is willing to accept. Russian President Putin declined Ukrainian President Zelensky’s invitation to meet in person last week, instead sending a low-level delegation.
Reports say Russia demanded Ukraine surrender control of four key cities—Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk—which Ukraine refused.
Trump warned of tougher sanctions if Russia obstructed peace talks but, after speaking with Putin on Monday, decided not to act immediately.
