Trump hints at ‘something big’ coming in Ukraine and reveals ‘major prisoner swap’ between Russia and Kyiv believed to involve 1,000 from each side
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Donald Trump has hinted at ‘something big’ coming in Ukraine and revealed that Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to hand over 1,000 prisoners of war from both sides.
The American president said on his social media platform, Truth Social: ‘A major prisoners swap was just shortly completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly.
‘Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???’
Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times that the swap will see each side hand over 1,000 prisoners each, as agreed during peace talks in Turkey that Vladimir Putin failed to attend.
The swaps will reportedly take place over three days. While most of the prisoners being handed back to each side will be military personnel, some will be civilians.
White House and National Security Council officials did not immediately respond to requests for further details.
The exchange was agreed last week in the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion of its neighbor.
That meeting in Turkey lasted just two hours and brought no breakthrough in international diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.
Donald Trump (pictured) has hinted at ‘something big’ coming in Ukraine and revealed that Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to hand over 1,000 prisoners of war from both sides
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a maeeting with the Crown Prince of Norway in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainian prisoners of war get off a bus after arriving in Ukraine on May 6, 2025 in Chernihiv, Ukraine
Despite the positive steps, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov continued to stoke tensions, telling reporters today that Moscow would not allow Russian-speakers in Ukraine to remain under the rule of what he called a ‘junta’ led by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Lavrov said it would be a ‘crime’ for Russia to allow this to happen. He added that the simplest way to settle the conflict would be for the international community to demand that Ukraine cancel laws discriminating against Russian-speakers.
Kyiv denies any such discrimination.
Lavrov’s comments highlighted Russia’s insistence, in any peace talks, on enforcing the same demands it made at the very start of the war.
Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine swapped 205 POWs as part of an exchange mediated by the UAE.
