Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine and Russia are preparing for a prisoner exchange that is expected to take place soon. He made this statement in his video address following the conclusion of another round of trilateral negotiations.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Trilateral Negotiations
According to the president, the Ukrainian delegation held substantive talks in a trilateral format, summarizing the interim results of their current work. Zelensky noted that negotiations between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia will continue, and a significant step in the form of a prisoner exchange is expected soon.
“There was a report from our delegation after today’s meetings – it was a trilateral format… We discussed the interim results of the negotiations today. They will continue tomorrow. There will also be a significant step: we expect a prisoner exchange in the near future. We need to bring the captives home,” he said in his video address.
Positions of the Parties on Ending the War
The president emphasized the unchanging Ukrainian position: the war must be concluded with real actions, not declarations. He stressed that Russia must be ready for peace, and international partners must provide real security guarantees and exert pressure on the aggressor. Zelensky believes that Ukrainians should feel the approach of peace, not an escalation of aggression from Russia.
At the same time, the Kremlin stated that the Russian position in the negotiations remains unchanged. According to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Russia’s demands are clear and understandable to both Kyiv and the American participants in the negotiations.
The latest round of negotiations took place in Abu Dhabi, where the Ukrainian side characterized the work as “substantive and productive.” The first such trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, the USA, and Russia began in late January this year, with subsequent meetings scheduled for early February.
During the negotiations, the parties discussed territorial issues, among other topics. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that the issue of Ukraine’s territorial integrity remains unresolved, while Russia insists on the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from parts of the Donetsk region that it does not control.
Volodymyr Zelensky, while in Vilnius, emphasized that Kyiv’s position on territories remains unchanged, and all parties must be ready for compromises. He also noted that bilateral security guarantees with the USA are already ready for signing.
The President of Ukraine previously stated that any potential territorial decisions should be made by the people of Ukraine through elections or a referendum. Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues to reject Western security guarantees for Ukraine and maintains its maximalist positions in the war, as noted by analysts from ISW.