Ukraine Pushes to Resume Prisoner Exchange Talks, Seeks Release of 1,200 Captives

Ukraine is pushing to revive stalled prisoner-exchange negotiations with Russia, aiming to secure the release of 1,200 Ukrainian captives, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and National Security Council chief Rustem Umerov said over the weekend.

In a video address posted on Telegram on Sunday, Zelenskiy said Kyiv is dedicating significant diplomatic efforts to restart the exchanges.

“We are counting on the resumption of exchanges,” Zelenskiy said. “Many meetings, negotiations, and calls are now devoted to this.”

Umerov said he held consultations in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, with support from Ukraine’s international partners, to re-establish the framework for large-scale swaps.

“As a result of these negotiations, the parties agreed to return to the Istanbul agreements,” he said, referring to a 2022 arrangement brokered by Turkey that set guidelines for coordinated prisoner exchanges between both sides. “This concerns the release of 1,200 Ukrainians.”

Russia has not yet commented on Ukraine’s latest statements.

The Istanbul agreements enabled thousands of prisoners to be traded earlier in the war, but exchanges have since become irregular due to intensified fighting following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Umerov said additional consultations would soon be held to finalize procedural and organizational details for the next round of swaps.

“We are working without pause so that Ukrainians who are to return from captivity can celebrate New Year and Christmas at home at the family table and with their loved ones,” he added.