Ukraine is engaged on a beforehand agreed-upon 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner alternate with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Might 21.
"We’ve to launch all our individuals, unconditionally. We are attempting to do the utmost we will. We are attempting very laborious," 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 alternate with Russia involving 1,000 detainees from all sides.
Zelensky famous that Ukraine is guaranteeing the alternate goes as deliberate, including that studies are ready day by day.
The prisoner alternate 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 alternate however didn’t yield leads to stopping Russia's struggle.
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 concerning a possible future peace treaty," the Russian chief stated following a telephone name with U.S. President Donald Trump on Might 19.
Ukraine has lengthy demanded an all-for-all prisoner alternate, however Moscow has thus far refused the proposal.
The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell