Russia and Ukraine started a serious prisoner swap Friday that was agreed at their first direct talks in additional than three years, a Ukrainian army supply mentioned.
President Donald Trump mentioned the prisoner change had already been accomplished however Kyiv and Moscow didn’t verify this and the army supply mentioned the swap was nonetheless below means.
Russia and Ukraine every agreed at two hours of talks in Istanbul final week to swap 1,000 prisoners, however did not comply with a ceasefire proposed by Trump. Earlier prisoner swaps have been mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
The prisoner swap was the one concrete step in the direction of peace the 2 sides agreed at their talks in Istanbul.
“Congratulations to each side on this negotiation. This might result in one thing huge???,” Trump mentioned in a submit on Fact Social.
Lots of of hundreds of troopers on each side are believed to have been wounded or killed in Europe’s deadliest struggle since World Battle II, though neither aspect publishes correct casualty figures. Tens of hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have additionally died as Russian forces have besieged and bombarded Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine says it’s prepared for a 30-day ceasefire instantly, however Russia, which launched the struggle by invading its neighbor in 2022 and now occupies a few fifth of Ukraine, says it is not going to pause its assaults till situations are met first. A member of the Ukrainian delegation known as these situations “non-starters”.
Trump, who has shifted U.S. coverage from supporting Ukraine in the direction of accepting a few of Russia’s account of the struggle, had mentioned he might tighten sanctions on Russia if Moscow blocked a peace deal. However after talking to Putin on Monday he determined to take no motion for now.
Moscow says it’s prepared for peace talks whereas the preventing goes on, and needs to debate what it calls the struggle’s “root causes,” together with its calls for Ukraine cede extra territory, and be disarmed and barred from army alliances with the West.
Kyiv says that’s tantamount to give up and would depart it defenseless within the face of future Russian assaults.
