Major Prisoner Exchange Between Ukraine and Russia Announced by Trump

US President Donald Trump has announced that a large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia has been finalised, with the deal reportedly being brokered during recent talks in Istanbul.

Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform, was the first Western leader to speak publicly on the matter, stating, "A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine." He did not specify the timing of the exchange but added, "It will go into effect shortly. Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???"

As of now, there has been no official confirmation from either Kyiv or Moscow regarding the deal’s completion or the timing of its implementation.

The announcement follows recent developments in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. On 22 May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky chaired a meeting focused on advancing a possible exchange in a "thousand-for-thousand" format, signalling a major step forward in efforts to secure the release of prisoners on both sides.

These discussions appear to be the only concrete result of the meeting held in Türkiye on 16 May, where Ukrainian and Russian delegations came face-to-face for the first time in over three years. Russia was represented by a relatively low-ranking delegation led by Vladimir Medinsky, a close aide to President Vladimir Putin.

Sources indicated that during the Istanbul negotiations, the Russian side insisted that no US representatives be present. In addition, Moscow reportedly presented demands that were described as unrealistic and far exceeding previous terms discussed between the two countries.