Ukraine denies Trump's claim that POW swap with Russia 'completed'
An exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) between Ukraine and Russia taking place on May 23 is still ongoing, a source familiar with the exchange told the Kyiv Independent, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the swap had been "completed."
"A major prisoner swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post around 12:40 p.m. Kyiv time.
"Congratulation to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big?" he added.
The planned exchange, involving 1,000 detainees from each side, follows an agreement reached between Ukrainian and Russian delegations during talks in Istanbul on May 16, 2025.
If completed, it would mark the largest POW exchange between Kyiv and Moscow in the 11 years since Russia’s war against Ukraine began.
Prisoner swaps remain one of the few areas of ongoing cooperation between the two countries. The most recent exchange occurred on May 6, when 205 Ukrainian soldiers were returned in a one-for-one format.
Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far resisted the proposal. Kyiv has not disclosed the total number of Ukrainian prisoners of war being held in Russian custody.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
