Moscow, May 14: Russia and Ukraine are intensifying preparations for another prisoner exchange, with both sides finalizing lists of prisoners. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, provided this update on Thursday in Moscow.
He stated, “Discussions regarding the lists are ongoing. This is the most challenging part of the process, but progress is being made swiftly.”
According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, previously mentioned that Russia accepted a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump for a ceasefire with Ukraine from May 9 to 11, along with a “1,000 for 1,000” prisoner exchange.
This ceasefire was announced ahead of the 81st anniversary celebrations of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.
Ushakov noted that relevant agencies from both Russia and Ukraine are continuously working on the prisoner lists, and if an agreement is reached, the exchange will commence.
On May 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had submitted a list of 1,000 prisoners for the proposed exchange to Russia.
According to the Ukrainian presidential office, Zelensky also emphasized the need to end the ongoing conflict with Russia and secure reliable guarantees for safety.
He remarked, “Now Putin himself is saying that they are finally ready for real negotiations. We have pushed them a bit in this direction, and we have been prepared for such talks for quite some time. Now we just need to determine the right approach.”
On May 12, Russia’s defense ministry stated that even after the ceasefire, the Russian military’s “special military operation” would continue.
Moscow also accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire 30,383 times during the designated “special operation zone.”
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