Ukraine and Russia Agree to “1,000 for 1,000” POW Exchange After 1st Direct Peace Talks in Years

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated that during the negotiations in Istanbul, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed the possibility of a large-scale prisoner exchange in a “1,000 for 1,000” format. The Russian side also confirmed this information.

“The purpose of our talks was to discuss a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and we are also potentially preparing a meeting at the level of the countries’ leaders. We talked about a ‘1,000 for 1,000’ exchange and are also working on other modalities for this swap,” Umerov told reporters immediately after the talks with Russia in Istanbul on Friday, May 16.

“We know the date, but we will not announce it yet,” he added.

Umerov said that the first step would be the prisoner exchange, and only after that will the next phase of negotiations be determined.

Minister Umerov’s statement came following direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul — the first of such high-level contact in over three years.

This wouldn’t be the first major exchange of prisoners.

On May 6, Ukraine and Russia held a large-scale prisoner exchange in which 205 Ukrainian service members were released.

According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, more than 4,000 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians have been released from Russian captivity since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

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The Illusion of a Peace Deal for Ukraine

Anyone who believes Russia is serious about negotiating a peace deal with Ukraine need only look at what Moscow says to be disabused. For those who consider Zelensky to be the one who is obstreperously rejecting reasonable compromises, let them lay out a point-by-point plan of what they and Russia see as the path towards ending this war. I’ll wager nobody can.