Prisoner exchange in the Ukraine conflict: hope for peace?

Prisoner exchange in the Ukraine conflict: hope for peace?

On Friday, talks between representatives of Moscow and Kiev took place in Istanbul under Turkish mediation. These conversations revolved around a possible end of the Russian war of aggression, but there was no agreement on an ceasefire during the one -half hour negotiations. An important point of the talks was the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war each. This has been the greatest exchange since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022. A precise time for the required exchange was not announced, but according to the Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow should be "in the near future".

The Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reported that in principle one had agreed on further discussions. Leonid Sluzki, the head of the external committee in the Russian Parliament, also expressed the expectation that it would be quickly decided when new discussions would take place. US President Donald Trump was skeptical and expressed little expectations of the meeting, but emphasized his willingness to talk to Vladimir Putin directly. It is noteworthy that Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj had previously invited Putin to a personal meeting in Istanbul, which was ignored by the Russian side.

preparations for a ceasefire

The US special envoy Steve Witkoff expects progress, especially with regard to a ceasefire in the Black Sea. Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerow described the consultations as "constructive", while Russian speakers, such as Dmitri Peskow, consider the security aspects in the Black Sea as primary. The United States and Ukraine have been fundamentally pronounced for limited ceasefire, while the Kremlin makes a complete armistice dependent on a stop of the arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Current fights and geopolitical implications

Regardless of the ongoing negotiations, the fights between Russian and Ukrainian troops continue. According to the Ukrainian general staff, there were 61 Russian attacks within a shorter period of time. In Cherson, two people were injured in a drone attack by Russian armed forces. In Kupjansk there were even four injuries by artillery shot. A drone attack in the northeastern tank area of ​​Sumy, in which nine people were killed and injured on Saturday.

The geopolitical efforts to end the conflict have increased in recent months. The EU urges stronger participation in the negotiations, while countries like Poland emphasize that China could play a key role to put Putin under pressure. France's President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine was waiting for feedback on its considerations of Russia and at the same time announced the preparation of further sanctions should not be a positive answer.

The roots of this conflict go back to spring 2022 when the first ceasefire negotiations started. Despite international efforts, also through UN resolutions, bilateral peace talks between Russia and Ukraine until February 2025 failed to materialize. The Russian attack on Ukraine has been a massive challenge for the international community since then. While Donald Trump started new placement attempts in the early 2025, they have not been without resistance so far.

It remains to be seen whether the recent discussions and the possible placement approaches in Saudi Arabia as well as the discussions in Turkey can lead to more peaceful solutions and whether the warring parties are willing to negotiate.

For more information about the ongoing negotiations and their background, read more at Kleine Zeitung , Tagesschau or on Wikipedia .