Vance says US ‘more than willing’ to walk away from mediating peace negotiations with Russia, Ukraine
Hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners were released Friday in an exchange with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced, adding that “It is very important to return everyone who remains in captivity.
“We are bringing our people home. The first stage of the ‘1000-for-1000’ exchange agreement has been carried out. This agreement was reached during the meeting in Turkey, and it is crucial to implement it in full,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, referencing a recent deal between Russian and Ukrainian officials.
“Today — 390 people. On Saturday and Sunday, we expect the exchange to continue. Thank you to everyone who is helping and working 24/7 to bring Ukrainian men and women back home. It is very important to return everyone who remains in captivity. We are verifying every surname, every detail about each person. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to make such steps possible,” he added.
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.
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Ukrainian prisoners that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said were released on Friday, May 23, as part of a swap deal with Russia. (X.com/ZelenskyyUa)
“A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning. “Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???”
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that “I held a meeting on the preparation for an exchange” and “The agreement to release 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Turkey.”
In this photo taken from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry press service, a woman who was captured by Ukrainian Army in the Kursk region of Russia cries while riding a bus after returning from captivity after an exchange between Russia and Ukraine, at an undisclosed location in Belarus, on Friday, May 23. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Following the conversation, Trump said “I believe it went very well.”
“Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trump said. “The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”
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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.”
