Zelensky Confirms 1,000-for-1,000 Prisoner Swap as Putin Signals Readiness for Ukraine Talks
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · May 11
Zelensky Confirms 1,000-for-1,000 Prisoner Swap as Putin Signals Readiness for Ukraine Talks
1 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · May 11
Zelensky said preparations are underway for a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange with Russia, adding that the US has taken guarantees to help ensure the deal is carried out.
Putin has also signaled readiness for what Zelensky called “real meetings,” but Kyiv says any talks must produce durable security guarantees and take place in a neutral venue, not Moscow.
Weekend fighting showed no real ceasefire at the front, Zelensky said, citing more than 150 assault operations, over 100 shellings and nearly 10,000 kamikaze drone strikes despite a pause in massive long-range attacks.
Ukraine says it will keep responding “in a mirror manner” and warned that any return to large-scale Russian strikes would trigger an immediate response, as US-backed efforts seek to revive a peace framework.
Can Ukraine's deep strikes on Russian industry force Putin into accepting a peace deal on Kyiv's terms?
With leaders discussing peace, will the massive US-brokered prisoner exchange actually build trust for a final deal?
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2,000 Prisoners Freed in US-Brokered Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire: Limited Relief in a Prolonged War
Overview
In May 2026, US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which included a full halt to military actions and a major prisoner exchange, with each side releasing 1,000 prisoners. Trump personally requested the pause in fighting, and both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed. Trump expressed hope that this could mark the start of ending the long and deadly war, while also noting that negotiations were still ongoing. This US-brokered agreement aimed to provide humanitarian relief and open the door for further talks, despite ongoing challenges and skepticism from both sides.