Ukraine is working with Russia to resume prisoner exchanges that could bring home 1,2000 Ukrainian prisoners, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
“We are working to ensure another start to negotiations, so that after all there is a prospect to end this war,” he wrote on X. “We are also counting on the resumption of POW exchanges – many meetings, negotiations, and calls are currently taking place to ensure this.”
Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Saturday he held consultations mediated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on resuming exchanges.
He said the parties agreed to activate prisoner exchange agreements brokered in Istanbul to release 1,200 Ukrainians. Moscow did not immediately comment.
The Istanbul agreements refer to prisoner-exchange protocols established with Turkish mediation in 2022 that set rules for large, coordinated swaps. Since then, Russia and Ukraine have traded thousands of prisoners, though exchanges have been sporadic.
Umerov said technical consultations would be held soon to finalize procedural and organizational details, expressing hope that returning Ukrainians could “celebrate the New Year and Christmas holidays at home — at the family table and next to their relatives.”
Finnish president warns no ceasefire likely soon in Ukraine
The president of Finland warned Sunday that a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely before the spring and urged European allies to keep up support despite a corruption scandal that has engulfed Kyiv.
President Alexander Stubb told the Associated Press that Europe will require “sisu” — a Finnish word meaning endurance, resilience and grit — to get through the winter months as Russia continues its hybrid attacks and information war across the continent.
“I’m not very optimistic about achieving a ceasefire or the beginning of peace negotiations, at least this year,” Stubb said, adding it would be good to “get something going” by March.
As the leader of one of Europe’s smaller countries, but one that shares an 830-mile border with Russia, Stubb is aware of what’s at stake.
Stubb leverages his good relationship with U.S. President Trump — the two men have played golf together and speak regularly — to argue the case for Ukraine.
To bring peace to Ukraine, Stubb said, Mr. Trump and European leaders need to maximize pressure on Russia and on President Vladimir Putin in order to change his strategic thinking. Putin “basically wants to deny the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” aims that have not altered since the war began nearly four years ago, Stubb said.
Russian strikes continue
Energy infrastructure was damaged by Russian drone strikes overnight into Sunday in Ukraine’s Odesa region, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. A solar power plant was among the damaged sites.
Ukraine is desperately trying to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across Ukraine on the brink of winter.
Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with Ukraine’s efforts to hold back a Russian battlefield push aimed at capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk.
Russia fired a total of 176 drones and one missile overnight, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday, adding that Ukrainian forces shot down or neutralized 139 drones.
Ukrainian forces struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, along with a warehouse storing drones for the elite Rubicon drone unit in the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk region, Ukraine’s general staff said Sunday. Russian officials did not immediately confirm the attacks.
Months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries have aimed to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war.
Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday that its forces shot down 57 Ukrainian drones overnight.