Moscow (Eurotoday) – On Sunday, Russia and Ukraine concluded a major three-day prisoner-of-war exchange, with each side handing over 303 additional detainees, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
Did the Istanbul meeting influence the final agreement?
A meeting held in Istanbul on May 16 resulted in an agreement between Russian and Ukrainian representatives to execute a large-scale prisoner exchange. This diplomatic engagement was convened following a push from former U.S. President Donald Trump, and came amidst growing pressure from European allies demanding a ceasefire from Moscow or facing additional sanctions.
Though the meeting yielded no breakthrough in peace negotiations, it laid the groundwork for the prisoner swap. Ukrainian and Western officials continued to advocate for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire; however, substantial progress on broader conflict resolution remained elusive.
Significance of the POW swap in the broader war context
The prisoner exchange launched on Friday marked one of the largest of its kind since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. In the first stage, each country released 390 prisoners, including 120 civilians. The broader agreement envisioned 1,000 prisoners being returned to each side by the conclusion of the effort.
“Thus, in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached on May 16 in Istanbul, for the period from May 23 to May 25, the Russian and Ukrainian sides carried out an exchange on the formula of 1,000 for 1,000 people,” stated the Russian Defence Ministry on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed appreciation to the teams and officials who made the process a success. In a post on social media, he announced the return of 303 Ukrainian servicemembers, stating: “Today, warriors of our Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service are returning home.”
The exchange continued over the weekend, with 307 prisoners traded by both countries on Saturday. That phase was announced by Russia’s defence ministry and separately confirmed by President Zelensky on Telegram.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow would be ready to present Ukraine with a draft document outlining the conditions for a possible long-term peace agreement upon completion of the prisoner exchange.
The Istanbul meeting, while limited in its immediate diplomatic outcomes, provided a platform for humanitarian cooperation that may set the stage for broader negotiations in the future.
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