Russia and Ukraine are making the biggest prisoner swap of the war so far, with each side releasing 390 prisoners on Friday, as part of a larger agreement to release 1,000 prisoners.
The agreement to exchange a thousand prisoners was the sole concrete measure to emerge from the first direct talks between the two countries in three years.
Russia and Ukraine both confirmed they had released 270 soldiers and 120 civilians on Friday, with more prisoners to be released today and tomorrow.
The prisoner swap was greeted with enthusiasm by President Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social: “Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???”
Although Ukraine has said it is ready for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, Russia has said it will not halt its operations against Ukraine until certain conditions are met. Ukraine has so far refused those conditions, describing them as “non-starters.”
In recent weeks, President Trump has increased his pressure on both sides to bring the conflict, which began in 2022, to an end. It’s believed hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been killed or wounded on both sides.
President Trump spoke to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday, and appeared to step back from his threat to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it prevented peace negotiations.
Russia has indicated its willingness to secure peace, but also maintains the war’s “root causes” must be addressed, which includes the ceding of territory in Ukraine to Russia and guarantees of Ukraine’s neutrality.
On Friday, Russia claimed to have made advances in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, capturing the town of Rakivka.