Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
The Ukrainian president said 390 prisoners were returned on Friday, with more to follow over the weekend
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of making a “mockery of the entire world” in its delay to respond to calls for a ceasefire after the first stage of a large-scale prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia.
The Ukrainian president renewed calls for global pressure on Moscow for a ceasefire after 390 prisoners were returned to Ukraine on Friday, with more to follow over the weekend in the “thousand for a thousand” war swap.
“It is clearly time to increase the pressure on Russia, to achieve not just one result, but everything that is necessary,” Zelensky said in a video on X.
“When Russia takes a whole week just to come up with a so-called ‘memorandum’ as their response to calls for a ceasefire – this is nothing but mockery of the entire world. So much time wasted. Every day of this war costs lives.
“Of course, in Russia, lives don’t count. But the world must count them. New sanctions against Russia are needed. I thank everyone who is advocating for this.”
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said his country would be ready to hand a draft document outlining terms for long-term peace once the prison exchange was complete.
Earlier on Friday US President Donald Trump heralded the Ukraine and Russia prisoner swap, before it had been completed.
“A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,” he wrote on Friday morning US time.
“It will go into effect shortly. Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???”
Yulia Navalnaya has said Donald Trump’s negotiations with Russia on Ukraine are making Vladimir Putin “feel stronger”.
The Russian activist and widow of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny said Trump speaking to the Russian president “like they’re equal” is making him more powerful.
She made the remarks while speaking at a sold-out event with Alastair Campbell at Wales’ Hay Festival on Friday, which The Independent is once again partnering with.
Athena Stavrou reports live from Hay Festival:
A major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine began Friday, the countries said, in one of the few signs of progress from their direct talks last week in Istanbul — part of a US-led effort that so far has failed to produce a ceasefire in the 3-year-old war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the first phase of the exchange was bringing home 390 Ukrainians, with further releases expected over the weekend.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said each side had released 270 military personnel and 120 civilian detainees.
But there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken out following the swap of prisoners, welcoming 390 Ukrainians back home.
He renewed calls for pressure on Russia, criticising Moscow for taking a week to come up with a response to ceasefire calls.
“Diplomatic steps toward a real peace are needed. A new and effective security architecture is needed. We are bringing our partners together to make this happen. It is clearly time to increase the pressure on Russia, to achieve not just one result, but everything that is necessary.
“When Russia takes a whole week just to come up with a so-called “memorandum” as their response to calls for a ceasefire – this is nothing but mockery of the entire world. So much time wasted. Every day of this war costs lives.
“Of course, in Russia, lives don’t count. But the world must count them. New sanctions against Russia are needed. I thank everyone who is advocating for this.”
He also said the next stages would follow as the prisoner swap continues.
“Tomorrow and the day after – the next stages will follow. The formula is ‘a thousand for a thousand.’
“What matters most is that Ukraine is bringing its people home. I thank everyone around the world who is helping. And just as we succeed in this, we must succeed in everything else. A ceasefire is needed.”
Former Ukrainian commander and now ambassador to the UK, Valery Zaluzhnyi, said Ukraine should abandon hope of regaining all territory lost to Russia.
„I hope that there are not people in this room who still hope for some kind of miracle or lucky sign that will bring peace to Ukraine, the borders of 1991 or 2022, and that there will be great happiness afterward,“ Zaluzhnyi said in a speech published by the Ukrainska Pravda news outlet on Friday.
„My personal opinion is that the enemy still has resources, forces and means to launch strikes on our territory and attempt specific offensive operations.”
Russia occupied the Crimea peninsula in 2014, and its armed forces now control about a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Russia released 390 Ukrainian prisoners on Friday including 120 civilians in part of the first stage of a prisoner of war exchange with Ukraine.
Ukraine also returned 390 Russian prisoners, who will undergo medical treatment in Belarus before returning home.
Ukraine and the US have finished setting up the US-Ukraine reconstruction fund, the core part of the agreement to share profits from new Ukrainian resource projects.
Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said all procedures to set up the fund were completed on Friday.
“The Fund is now officially launched,” she said on X.
Read more about the fund and why it was created here.
A Russian SU-24 aircraft was performing dangerous manoeuvres on Thursday evening and was intercepted by Polish Air Forces, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Friday, without giving further details.
He added that the order to intercept the aircraft was issued by the joint operational command for Nato allied forces in Europe and the Polish jets located the aircraft, intercepted it and effectively deterred it.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in