Ukraine and Russia agree prisoner of war exchange after first direct talks

By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda Updated at 1730 EAT on Friday 16 May 2025

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has just been briefing Ukrainian reporters after the talks with Russia came to a close.

Umerov says Ukraine and Russia have agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each.

We have discussed the ceasefire issue. And the issue of [prisoner] swaps. The result is the swap of 1,000 persons for 1,000. That’s the result of our meeting.

The date has been set, but it is not being made public, he says.

Umerov also says a potential meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin was discussed and that an announcement about a possible new round of talks will be announced soon.

The talks between Russia and Ukraine have been going on for more than an hour and this is an encouraging sign.

They’ve not walked out. They’re willing to listen. That’s a start.

Let’s head over to Albania briefly now, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is taking part in the European Political Community Summit in Tirana.

In a short address to European leaders including Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron – Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine’s number one priority is an unconditional ceasefire.

Zelensky says if the Russian delegation cannot agree to one, then it is clear Putin does not want to end the war.

The Ukrainian president urged a strong reaction from world leaders if talks in Istanbul fail, adding that the US should stay as coordinated as possible.

His remarks come a day after he visited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Turkey.

Turkey is one of the few countries that has preserved good relations with both Ukraine and Russia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly offered to host these talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

Turkish government officials say they operate a consciously 360 degree foreign policy a pragmatic approach in a sometimes challenging region projecting the country as a diplomatic player that can speak to all, but that is beholden to none.

President Erdogan hopes hosting the peace talks, and potentially having a shot at brokering a deal, will catapult Turkey’s international standing, and help reinforce his strong-man image domestically.

Turkey was the last location where direct talks took place between the Russians and the Ukrainians in 2022.

Opening the meeting, in Istanbul, the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it was critically important that a ceasefire happened as soon as possible.

He said more lives were being lost every day, and both sides must take advantage of the opportunity provided by these talks.

There were no handshakes between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, and there’s little expectation of any major breakthrough.

But this is a step forward, and it has at least symbolic value.

Before the meeting, Ukraine said its priority was to achieve a lasting unconditional ceasefire, and it was ready for peace.

Half the Ukrainian side are in camouflage military fatigues.

The peace talks in Turkey today between Russia and Ukraine are under way. It’s the first time in three years delegations from the two countries will be in the same room.

However, their respective positions seem to remain quite far apart.

Zelensky says his team’s mandate is focused on ceasing fire immediately, the Russians said yesterday their focus is on long term peace and removing the root causes of this crisis.

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