U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine has been completed, describing the development as a potential turning point in efforts to ease tensions between the two countries.
“A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly. Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
The exchange follows a landmark agreement reached earlier this month during face-to-face talks in Istanbul, the first direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow in more than three years. As part of the deal, each side agreed to release 1,000 prisoners of war, according to Ukrainian military intelligence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed this week that Kyiv had submitted a verified list of 1,000 names to the Kremlin, while Russian officials acknowledged receiving the proposal and were preparing a reciprocal list.
The swap is seen as a rare diplomatic breakthrough amid continued hostilities along the Russia-Ukraine border, where both sides have engaged in intensified military operations. The agreement has been cautiously welcomed by international observers as a confidence-building measure that could pave the way for further humanitarian or political negotiations.
While the prisoner exchange marks a positive step, broader efforts to end the conflict remain stalled. Ukrainian and U.S. officials continue to call for the withdrawal of Russian forces and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, while the Kremlin insists on securing a new “security buffer zone” along the border.
Whether the exchange leads to renewed peace efforts remains to be seen, but Trump’s comment suggests the White House views the deal as a potential catalyst for broader talks.
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Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asia Cup match.
The 32 countries belonging to the Internatioanl Energy Agency agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil on Wednesday (11 March), in efforts aimed at bringing down the price of crude oil, which has soared since fighting between Iran, Israel and the U.S. started at the end of February.
A towering lava fountain from Kilauea shot about 400 metres into the air late on Tuesday (11 March) on Hawaii Island, prompting temporary closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and part of a key highway as volcanic ash and debris fell over nearby areas.
Norwegian police apprehended three brothers suspected of carrying out Sunday's (8 March) bombing at the U.S. embassy in Oslo, in an attack investigators have branded an act of terrorism.
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Member countries of the International Energy Agency have unanimously agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to stabilise global markets disrupted by the war involving Iran.
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