Ukraine and Russia today swapped over 300 prisoners of war as Putin said he is “open to peace talks”.
Moscow’s Defence Ministry said each side freed 150 prisoners of war, although Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the number of Kyiv’s soldiers at 189. The reason behind the discrepancy is unclear at the moment.
Ukrainian officials said the swap is one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the full-scale war began in 2022.
Both sides confirmed the United Arab Emirates acted as a mediator, and in a statement on Telegram, Zelensky thanked the UAE and other partners.
He said: “The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home.
“Everyone has relatives and friends waiting for them at home. And it is a joy that we managed to return them. Today, another 189 families are happy.”
This came after Putin said that Russia is open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine on 26 December.
It was offered by Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has been an outspoken opponent of European Union military support for Ukraine.
Putin said the Slovakian authorities “…would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations. We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia takes such a neutral position.”
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said Putin’s comments were a “positive signal” for an end to the war.
Zelensky has openly criticised Slovakia for the relationship Fico has with Russia. Fico was hosted by Putin in the Kremlin this month, as he offered to facilitate peace talks.
Earlier this month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed he had made a similar off to Russia and Ukraine for a Christmas truce and a prisoner exchange, but that Kyiv had rejected it.
Ukraine’s Presidential Office stated that a major prisoner swap by the end of the year was under discussion, although it denied any contact with Hungary on this.
As part of the prisoner swap today, Ukrainians returning home included soldiers, sergeants and officers serving different areas, as well as two civilians who were captured in Mariupol in 2022.
The Russian captives were released on Belarusian territory and are being transferred to Russia, according to the defence ministry.
There were 10 other prisoner exchanges this year between Russia and Ukraine. The latest was in mid-October, when each side exchanged 95 prisoners.
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