The exchange of 2,000 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine, the largest since the beginning of the Russian large -scale invasion in February 2022, has begun this Friday between certain confusion. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced early in the morning that the exchange “has been completed”, although then, in the same message, he added that “it will be effective soon.” Ukraine and Russian military sources have nuanced after the process was underway but has not ended, because the forecast is to last for three days. According to the authorities in Moscow and kyiv, at 15.00 780 inmates had already been delivered (390 of each country); A third of them, civilians.
This is the only tangible agreement to which they reached, where it was agreed that each country would deliver to 1,000 prisoners of war, in what is the greatest exchange of these characteristics since the beginning of the conflict.
“An important exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine has been completed. It will be effective soon. Congratulations to both parties for this negotiation. Could this lead to something more important?” Trump written this morning in a publication in Truth Social.
Russian Defense Minister Andréi Belóusov, has nuanced hours later that both countries had already exchanged 780 war prisoners: 390 of each country. Of the total figure, 240 are civilians, so each party has delivered to 120. and confirmed that the exchange will continue in the next two days.
At 16.00, the president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, has confirmed that figure: “We are bringing our people home. The first stage of the exchange agreement ‘1,000 for 1,000’ has been carried out […] Today: 390 people. On Saturday and Sunday we hope that the exchange will continue, ”he said on the social network X.
Moscow and kyiv announced on Thursday that the lists of a thousand prisoners of each country had sent to be exchanged in the framework of this exchange. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed that Moscow had sent his list to kyiv and waited for his response. Later, Peskov himself reported that Russia had also received the list of Ukraine prisoners.
The exchanges of prisoners and deceased are. Last Friday there was a new exchange: the mortal remains of 909 military were returned to Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian headquarters for the coordination of the prisoners of war, and Russia received the bodies of 34 combatants, according to the Committee of the Russian State Duma for Military Affairs.
Another of the agreements reached by Moscow and kyiv in their meeting a week ago was to continue the conversations to reach a truce. Russian Foreign Minister Serguéi Lavrov confirmed that “there will be a second round of negotiations”, but considers that it is “unrealistic” that the Vatican, who had offered himself as host, can host these meetings. In addition, he has urged “not to waste mental capacity” speculating on possible venues such as the Vatican, since it is uncomitable that “on a Catholic platform” we can talk about issues such as the causes of the conflict. He intuits that the Holy See would not feel “comfortable.”
