A significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine is currently in progress, a senior Ukrainian official confirmed Friday—hours after former President Donald Trump prematurely announced the deal had been completed.
While Trump celebrated the event on his Truth Social platform, declaring a “major prisoners swap” was already finalized, Ukrainian officials quickly clarified that the exchange was still ongoing. “The swap is not yet finished,” the Ukrainian source told the Associated Press, emphasizing that logistics remain underway.
The exchange follows renewed dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, with representatives from both nations participating in direct negotiations in Turkey last Friday—marking the first high-level talks since the early stages of the war. The outcome of those discussions included an agreement to release approximately 1,000 prisoners of war, a move hailed by both sides as a rare step forward in an otherwise grueling conflict.
Trump, who has taken a renewed interest in brokering peace between the two nations, praised the development. “A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly,” he posted. “Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, echoing cautious optimism, posted on X Thursday that he had convened a meeting to prepare for the prisoner release. “The agreement to release 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Turkey,” he wrote.
Trump’s commentary came on the heels of a phone conversation he held earlier this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Describing the tone of the call as “excellent,” Trump stated that both nations would “immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.”
“Russia and Ukraine must work out the terms themselves,” he said. “They understand the nuances in a way no outsider could. The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”
Putin, in a statement released by the Kremlin, echoed a willingness to negotiate. “A ceasefire with Ukraine is possible,” he said, while stressing the importance of “compromises that suit both sides.”
However, the Kremlin tempered expectations, noting that no additional peace talks have been scheduled as of yet. “There is no concrete agreement about the next meetings,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Thursday. “They are yet to be agreed upon.”
As the prisoner swap proceeds and backchannel diplomacy intensifies, observers are left to wonder whether this rare moment of cooperation might lay the groundwork for a broader ceasefire—or if it will merely be a fleeting glimpse of peace in a long and bitter war.
