Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that another stage of the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia is expected as early as tomorrow. According to the head of state, the return of Ukrainian soldiers home is an important outcome of negotiations that are taking place alongside other diplomatic processes.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Progress of Negotiations on the Exchange and Next Steps
Zelensky noted that the date of the next trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and the Russian Federation is still unknown, as it has been postponed due to active hostilities in the Middle East. The Ukrainian side is awaiting a new proposal from American partners regarding the date for these negotiations.
“Tomorrow the exchange will continue. It is wonderful that people will be returning home. These are parallel tracks,” he told reporters.
In January and February, several rounds of trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, the USA, and Russia took place, aimed at making progress towards ending the war. During these meetings, specific results were not officially announced; however, in February, the delegations managed to agree on the first prisoner exchange in the last five months.
Last Exchange and Changes in the Negotiation Schedule
On March 5, Ukraine brought home 200 soldiers who had been in Russian captivity. This marked the first stage of the exchange achieved during negotiations in Geneva. The next trilateral meeting of Ukraine, the USA, and Russia was scheduled for March 5 or 6, but its date and location may be changed.
The situation is complicated by the escalation in the Middle East. On February 28, Israeli forces struck Iran, after which US President Donald Trump announced the beginning of large-scale military operations against Tehran. In response, Iran carried out a series of drone and ballistic missile attacks on Israeli territory and countries in the region where American military bases are located, including Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.