Russia, Ukraine Begin Large-Scale 1,000 Prisoner Exchange

Russia and Ukraine have initiated a large-scale prisoner exchange following their first direct negotiations in over three years, agreeing to swap 1,000 prisoners each. The exchange began after a two-hour meeting in Istanbul, which was the only significant outcome since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While the prisoner swap brings relief to families, no ceasefire or broader peace agreement was reached, with diplomatic tensions and conflicting demands continuing to hinder progress. President Donald Trump publicly announced the completion of the swap and suggested it could be the start of a larger breakthrough. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed skepticism about further negotiations and reiterated Russia’s conditions regarding Ukrainian governance and rights for Russian speakers. Despite previous exchanges earlier this year, this swap marks the largest prisoner exchange to date and highlights ongoing challenges in resolving the conflict.