Ukraine is engaged on a beforehand agreed-upon 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner trade with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Might 21.
"We’ve got to launch all our folks, unconditionally. We are attempting to do the utmost we are able to. We are attempting very exhausting," Zelensky stated in a night tackle on Might 21.
Ukraine's Safety Service (SBU) on Might 17 introduced it had launched preparatory steps for the large-scale prisoner trade with Russia involving 1,000 detainees from both sides.
Zelensky famous that Ukraine is making certain the trade goes as deliberate, including that reviews are ready each day.
The prisoner trade was agreed upon between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations on the Istanbul peace talks on Might 16.
The peace talks had been the primary direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia since 2022, when Russia issued maximalist calls for to Ukraine, together with abandoning NATO membership aspirations and making large-scale territorial concessions.
The peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey on Might 15 led to an settlement on a prisoner trade however didn’t yield leads to stopping Russia's battle.
On the Istanbul talks, Russia despatched a delegation of low-level officers and reiterated maximalist calls for, together with that Ukraine settle for the lack of Crimea and 4 jap areas.
As a substitute of a ceasefire, Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted on negotiating a "memorandum relating to a possible future peace treaty," the Russian chief stated following a cellphone name with U.S. President Donald Trump on Might 19.
Ukraine has lengthy demanded an all-for-all prisoner trade, however Moscow has up to now refused the proposal.
The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell