Zelenskyy Proposes ‘All for All’ Prisoner Swap to End War with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a complete prisoner exchange with Russia as a step toward ending the ongoing war. Speaking at a summit in Kyiv on the third anniversary of the conflict, Zelenskyy stated, “Russia must release Ukrainians. Ukraine is ready to exchange all for all, and this is a fair way to start.”

The proposal comes after multiple prisoner swaps between the two nations. In October 2024, Ukraine and Russia exchanged 95 prisoners each, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) mediating the process. Before that, in September, both countries released 103 prisoners on each side. According to Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets, this marked the 58th such exchange since the war began in 2022.

Zelenskyy’s call for a large-scale prisoner exchange signals an effort to ease tensions and initiate steps toward peace. However, Russia has yet to respond to the proposal.