Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited the eastern front line on Friday as Ukraine and Russia completed a two-day prisoner-of-war swap, exchanging 500 soldiers each.
Zelensky gave awards to troops defending positions near Druzhkivka and Kostiantynivka, cities in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia has concentrated its forces. Moscow was preparing for a spring offensive there, he said.
“It is important not only from the point of view of defending our state on the battlefield, but it is also very important geopolitically,” Zelensky told soldiers from the 28th Separate Mechanised Brigade in a video posted on his Telegram channel.
“The stronger we are in the eastern direction, the stronger we are in the talks process.”
Under pressure from US President Donald Trump’s administration, Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of talks trying to find a diplomatic solution on how to end the war, now in its fifth year.
But the two sides remain far apart in their positions and territory in the eastern Donetsk region is a key sticking point.
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Ukraine, Russia exchange 500 soldiers each
One of the few concrete results emerging from the talks included agreements about exchanging prisoners of war.
“This week, Ukraine and Russia carried out another prisoner exchange, with 1,000 individuals returned following agreements reached during the recent trilateral negotiations in Geneva with the United States,” US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on X.
Kyiv and Moscow exchanged 300 service personnel each on Friday, and another 200 prisoners of war each were swapped a day earlier. It is the second POW exchange so far this year.
Zelensky said two Ukrainian civilians were also returned home on Friday.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the US and the United Arab Emirates acted as mediators in the exchange.
Zelensky posted a video of dozens of men exiting large white buses, smiling, waving and thanking the Ukrainian border guards who greeted them.
“I am at home, my dear mum. That’s it, I am home. We will see each other soon. I love you, mum,” said one soldier, speaking on a mobile phone.
The previous POW swap was in early February after peace talks in Abu Dhabi earlier that month.
Ukraine hoped for a new round of peace talks at the start of March, but it was postponed after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to fire missiles towards Israel and several Gulf locations hosting US military facilities in retaliation.
“Discussions remain ongoing, with additional progress anticipated in the weeks ahead,” Witkoff said.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
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