Trump says Ukraine and Russia held a large prisoner exchange
23 May 13:46
President of the United States of America (USA) Donald Trump has announced the completion of a “major prisoner exchange” between Ukraine and Russia. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the American leader’s post on Truth Social.
“A major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine has just been completed. It will “come into force in the near future”. Perhaps this will lead to something big?” the White House chief said.
It should be noted that neither Ukraine nor Russia has commented on this information yet.
The “1000 for 1000” exchange is an initiative of a large prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, which provides for the mutual release of 1,000 prisoners of war from each side.
Preparations for the 1000 for 1000 exchange were publicly announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 22, 2025. The initiative is being actively promoted by the Presidential Office, in particular, by the head of the Office, Andriy Yermak.
The purpose of the exchange
This is one of the largest potential exchanges since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Its implementation will be a significant humanitarian step and will allow the return home of a large contingent of Ukrainian defenders, who are often in extremely difficult conditions.
Ukraine has already conducted dozens of exchanges with Russia, but in 2024-2025 the pace of exchanges slowed significantly. The last large exchange (230 for 230) took place in January 2024 after a 5-month pause. After that, there was a long stagnation, despite numerous requests from relatives of prisoners and human rights organizations.
Exchanges usually take place with the mediation of third countries (UAE, Turkey, Qatar) or with the participation of international humanitarian organizations such as the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). It has not been officially announced whether anyone will be involved in the case of a 1000-for-1000 exchange.
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What preceded it
The first direct talks between representatives of Ukraine and the Russian Federation in three years took place on May 16 in Istanbul. The meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes, was an important event amid the ongoing war and the absence of direct high-level dialogue since 2022. Despite limited expectations, the two sides discussed two key issues: a possible exchange of prisoners of war and the conditions for a potential ceasefire.
On the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the discussion of the prisoner exchange was constructive. He also acknowledged that the agreement on the “1000 for 1000” format was one of the results of the Istanbul talks.
Despite some progress in the humanitarian sphere, the parties did not report any concrete agreements on a ceasefire. However, experts see the very fact that direct dialogue has resumed as a “trial reconnaissance” before possible broader negotiations in the future. The Ukrainian side has clearly stated that its priority is humanitarian issues, while the strategic conditions for peace remain far from being agreed upon.
The previous official talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by Turkey, took place in March 2022, when the parties met in Istanbul, but did not make significant progress. The May talks, according to political analysts, are intended to show the international community that the parties are ready for at least a limited dialogue amid international initiatives to resolve the conflict.
How many Ukrainian soldiers were released from Russian captivity
According to the Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a total of 4757 Ukrainian citizens have been released by the Coordination Center as part of the negotiation process and exchanges since March 2022. A total of 64 prisoner exchanges have taken place since then.
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