Russia releasing all of its Ukrainian captives would be a good step toward peace, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the Support Ukraine summit on Feb. 24.
"Ukraine is ready for an all-for-all exchange, it is a fair option," Zelensky said in an address to world leaders.
The comments come amid growing expectations of peace talks in 2025 amid U.S. President Donald Trump's push for a swift ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine have held a number of prisoner swaps throughout the full-scale war, most recently on Feb. 5, when 150 Ukrainian soldiers were brought back from Russian captivity.
Ukraine does not reveal the exact figures on how many Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) are held in Russia. According to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, Russia holds over 16,000 Ukrainian civilians.
Moscow has also deported or forcibly displaced over 19,500 Ukrainian children, transporting them to Russia, Belarus, or other Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
"Thousands of people are being held in Russia. And some of them have been held not only since 2022, but much earlier, since 2014," Zelensky said.
Ukraine floated the idea of an all-for-all prisoner exchange already back in 2024, but Russia has not agreed to the proposal.
Kateryna Hodunova
