President Zelensky accused Russia of dirty political and informational games surrounding the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of the fallen
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again condemned Russia’s actions, accusing it of engaging in a dirty political and informational game regarding the process of exchanging prisoners and returning the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. According to the head of state, such behavior creates serious obstacles to further diplomatic efforts, including cooperation with the international community and the United States, which are making significant efforts to reach agreements and establish just peace. In his evening address, Zelensky emphasized that consultations are being conducted at the highest levels on Ukraine’s initiative. He clarified that he recently spoke with the ministers of defense and heads of intelligence services — Defense Minister Umerov, GUR Kyryl Budanov, and SBU head Malyuk — to consolidate efforts in this direction. We aim to do everything possible to ensure that Ukrainian prisoners and those who have fallen are returned home as soon as possible. However, according to Zelensky, Russia has yet to provide full lists of over a thousand individuals for exchange — such an agreement was reached as part of the peace negotiations in Istanbul, but it remains partially unfulfilled due to the lack of concrete data from the Russian side. Zelensky added that this approach of the Kremlin completely destroys trust and undermines the efforts of the international community, including the United States, which are making all necessary efforts to resolve humanitarian issues and improve the situation regarding exchanges. He stressed that despite these challenges, Ukraine is persistently working in this direction and remains hopeful for a positive result. It is also noteworthy that just prior to this, Zelensky voiced his position on the situation in a short but clearly defined address, in which he emphasized: "If Russia, even on such humane and important humanitarian issues, does not fulfill its obligations, it casts doubt on the entire effectiveness of international negotiations and efforts aimed at resolving the conflict." This is yet another call from Ukrainian leadership urging international partners not to lose vigilance and to trust only verified agreements. Background of the conflict around the exchange It is important to note that at the end of last week, Russia made a statement about disrupting a scheduled prisoner exchange, blaming Ukraine for it. However, Ukrainian officials and representatives of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War immediately refuted this information, calling it false and an attempt to discredit Ukraine on the international stage. At the same time, the Russian side released footage showing refrigerated trucks, claiming that bodies of Ukrainian war victims had been delivered there for further exchange. However, Ukrainian experts clearly debunked these claims, confirming that the video was not shot on Ukrainian territory or in the immediate exchange zone, but in Russia, and bears no relation to peaceful negotiations. Andriy Yusov, Deputy Head of the Coordination Headquarters, in an interview with "Ukrainska Pravda," emphasized that the video is a complete provocation and does not reflect reality. Despite these tense and complex situations, GUR head Kyryl Budanov stressed in his public statements that the agreement on exchanging bodies of the fallen and all prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia remains valid and is expected to take place in the coming days, including next week. He also noted that the details of this complex process require special caution and cooperation to prevent any provocations and to preserve the humanitarian component of the negotiations. Thus, the situation around the exchange of prisoners remains tense and dynamic, with unresolved questions and an ambiguous position from Russia. Ukraine insists on the implementation of all agreements and is doing everything possible to return its citizens, while Moscow likely seeks to use this humanitarian issue for political pressure and to create additional obstacles in the diplomatic process. Clearly, the future of the exchange depends on both sides’ willingness to adhere to the agreed conditions and the efforts of international mediators striving to resolve this conflict zone in a humanitarian manner.