On Friday, hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners were freed in a swap with Russia, as announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He emphasized the significance of reclaiming all those still detained.
“We are bringing our people home. The initial phase of the ‘1000-for-1000’ exchange agreement has been executed,” Zelenskyy shared on X, referring to a recent accord between Russian and Ukrainian representatives that was finalized in Turkey.
“Today — 390 people. We anticipate the exchange will proceed on Saturday and Sunday. A heartfelt thanks to everyone tirelessly working to reunite Ukrainian men and women with their families. It’s vital to free all those in captivity. Each name, along with all details about every person, is being checked. We will persist in our diplomatic efforts to enable such actions,” he explained.
The swap unfolded at the border between Belarus and Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official told the Associated Press. Moscow had no immediate comment. On his X account, Zelenskyy released images purportedly showing the newly-freed Ukrainians.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Putin, in a statement after the call, also noted that “a ceasefire with Ukraine is possible” but noted that “Russia and Ukraine must find compromises that suit both sides.”
The Kremlin then said Thursday that both sides had no direct peace talks scheduled.
Ukrainian soldiers hug each other after returning from captivity following an exchange between Russia and Ukraine, in the Chernyhiv region of Ukraine on Friday, May 23. (AP)
“There is no concrete agreement about the next meetings,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Associated Press. “They are yet to be agreed upon.”
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
