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1,000-for-1,000 POW Swap Marks Breakthrough in Russia-Ukraine Talks, Zelenskyy Says

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Vlad Litnarovych
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1,000-for-1,000 POW Swap Marks Breakthrough in Russia-Ukraine Talks, Zelenskyy Says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 15, 2025, in Ankara, Turkey. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the most significant outcome of recent negotiations in Türkiye Ukraine and Russia reached is a major agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war on each side, Zelenskyy wrote on May 19.

“Our team is now working through the details of the exchange,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that all Russian attempts to use threats during the discussions were firmly rejected.

The agreement emerged from a new round of diplomatic efforts aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. Zelenskyy chaired a high-level meeting focused on Ukraine’s diplomatic strategy, where Defense Minister Rustem Umerov briefed him on the talks held with Russian representatives on May 15–16.

According to Zelenskyy, the Turkish-hosted negotiations underscored Ukraine’s readiness to advance toward peace — and demonstrated the global necessity of maintaining pressure on Moscow to halt the war.

Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, reported that the talks were kept within “dignified parameters” despite Russian provocations.

He also reiterated Kyiv’s key position: a full and unconditional ceasefire, essential not only for saving lives but also for creating space for meaningful diplomacy. Ukraine has proposed a 30-day ceasefire, with the option to extend it, and signaled readiness for direct talks between national leaders.

“Ukraine is not afraid of direct negotiations with Russia,” Zelenskyy noted, adding that it is critical for the Kremlin to stop dragging out the war.

Ukrainian FM Andrii Sybiha, and Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President, also updated Zelenskyy on diplomatic contacts with key Western allies — including the US, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Turkey.

Yermak presented the current positions of these partner nations, with Zelenskyy saying coordination is ongoing “virtually every day.”

Earlier, Zelenskyy ordered the formation of a permanent, expanded national negotiating group following the recent talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul.

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