Households of Ukrainian POWs rally exterior US Embassy, demand ‘all-for-all’ alternate earlier than peace deal

Relations of Ukrainian prisoners of warfare (POWs) and lacking individuals held a peaceable rally exterior of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on March 6, urging Washington to assist safe the discharge of all Ukrainian troopers and civilians held in Russian captivity.

The protest comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a swift peace take care of Russia that foresees concessions from Kyiv, however not the aggressor state that invaded Ukraine in 2014 and escalated the warfare in 2022, killing tens of hundreds of civilians.

Protesters demanded an "all-for-all" prisoner alternate earlier than any peace take care of Russia is signed, Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne reported.

Russia and Ukraine have performed a number of swaps all through the full-scale warfare, most not too long ago on Feb. 5, when Ukraine secured the return of 150 POWs.

Kyiv has pushed for an all-for-all prisoner alternate since 2024, however Moscow has refused the proposal.

Ukraine doesn’t disclose the precise variety of its troopers held in Russian captivity. In accordance with Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, Moscow holds over 16,000 Ukrainian civilians.

Moreover, Russia has forcibly deported greater than 19,500 Ukrainian youngsters to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories.

Earlier on March 5, the day of Trump's tackle to Congress, a pro-Ukrainian rally was held in Washington close to the Capitol.

In accordance with Euronews, the demostrators in Washington protested in opposition to Trump's latest statements on Ukraine and his choice to droop navy support to Kyiv.

The protests come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv following the contentious Feb. 28 Oval Workplace assembly between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The talks, initially meant to finalize a U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal, led to a public dispute, resulting in the cancellation of the settlement.

Since then, Trump has minimize U.S. navy support and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, whereas some U.S. officers and Republican lawmakers have intensified criticism of Zelensky, with some suggesting he ought to resign.

Trump admin plans to revoke legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees, Reuters reportsThe plan predates U.S. President Donald Trump’s public spat with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 28 and is part of broader efforts to revoke the legal status of more than 1.8 million people staying in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds, Reuters reported.The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek