Russia, Ukraine Agree On Prisoner Exchange, But No Ceasefire Breakthrough

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Monday at the NATO summit in Vilnius that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange prisoners of war, following direct peace talks held in Istanbul.

During the hour-long meeting, both sides agreed to:

• Swap 6,000 bodies of fallen soldiers.
• Conduct an “all-for-all” exchange involving seriously wounded, sick, and young soldiers under 25.

However, no major breakthrough was achieved. Russia again rejected Kyiv’s demand for an unconditional ceasefire.

Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to take “necessary steps for peace,” but insisted that any real progress should start with a ceasefire, prisoner releases, and the return of abducted children.

He also called for a new wave of sanctions to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into accepting a ceasefire.

Ukraine’s delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, while Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky represented Russia. Umerov confirmed Ukraine had proposed a 30-day ceasefire on all fronts, a position held for three months.

Russia presented a memorandum for Ukraine to review over the next week.

There was no progress on Zelensky’s call for a direct meeting with Putin, though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered to mediate.

The talks followed a Ukrainian drone strike that reportedly destroyed over 40 Russian warplanes, underscoring continued hostilities.