Russia, Ukraine Agree Prisoner of War Exchange After Talks

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would happen ‘as soon as we can set it up.’

Russian and Ukrainian delegations attend talks at the Dolmabache palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. Ramil Sitdikov, Sputnik Pool Photo via AP

Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks since March 2022 in Istanbul on Friday and agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he did not have “high expectations” about the talks and said there would be no breakthrough on agreeing to a cease-fire unless there was a direct meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.