Russia, Ukraine Agree on 1,000 Prisoner Swap

Russian and Ukrainian negotiating delegations concluded direct talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, just two hours after they began.

These negotiations are the first direct talks between the two warring countries in nearly three years, amid pressure from US President Donald Trump to reach a ceasefire and peace agreement to end the war that has been raging since February 2022.

During Friday's negotiations, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners from each side, Russian Defense Minister Rustam Umerov told Ukrainian television.

If the prisoner swap is completed, it will be the largest such exchange between the two sides since the beginning of the war.

Earlier today, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it was important for Russian and Ukrainian negotiators to agree on a ceasefire between the two countries "as soon as possible."

The minister indicated that the talks held between the two sides in Istanbul, Turkey, should serve as "the basis for the leaders' meeting," according to Reuters.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry published a photo showing representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey gathered around a table in Istanbul. Live footage from Turkish television also showed Russian and Ukrainian negotiators meeting in Istanbul and holding discussions with a Turkish delegation.

This comes after a Ukrainian diplomatic source reported that Moscow had demanded that talks with Kyiv be held in Turkey without representatives from Washington and Ankara present. The source described Russia as "undermining peace efforts" with this demand.

Earlier today, Reuters quoted a Ukrainian diplomatic source as saying that Kyiv would prioritize a ceasefire in negotiations with Russia, noting the need for "confidence-building measures."

It added that Ukrainians will also raise the issue of holding a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart as part of the current negotiations.