What is the scale of the prisoner exchange being discussed?

According to Zelenskyy, a large-scale exchange of 1,000-for-1,000 or 1,500-for-1,500 is being discussed.

Who plans to take this agenda to Russia?

Zelenskyy indicated that American mediators will bring this agenda to Russia.

What other topics were raised in the negotiations?

Topics included territory, leadership-level meeting formats, de-escalation steps, energy, and Black Sea security.

Has there been an exchange prior to this?

Yes, a 205-for-205 exchange occurred, which is considered the first stage of the thousand-for-thousand goal.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine and Russia discussing prisoner swap of 1,000-for-1,000 or 1,500-for-1,500

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Kyiv and Moscow are discussing the possibility of a large-scale prisoner exchange using a "1,000-for-1,000" or "1,500-for-1,500" formula. According to him, this is the agenda that American mediators plan to discuss during their upcoming trip to Russia. The statement was made during the head of state's interaction with the media and concerns the progress of trilateral negotiations being held with US participation.

Exchange formula and scale

Commenting on the details, Zelenskyy noted that the issue of the exchange had been "discussed with the team" and that the American side has a "main day" coming up soon, with the exchange possibility currently being deliberated. "They want to do 1,000 for 1,000, maybe 1,500 for 1,500. Some kind of large exchange, that is the agenda the Americans will take to Russia," the president emphasized. Thus, it is not a matter of an exact agreed-upon number, but rather a target scale that the parties intend to fix during further contacts.

The role of American mediators

A key element of the announced agenda is the role of the US as a mediator. Zelenskyy directly linked the discussion of the exchange to the American team's trip to Russia, indicating that it is "with this agenda" that Washington representatives will travel there. This confirms that the humanitarian track, in particular the prisoner exchange, is viewed as one of the priority points that the US intends to advance in its dialogue with the Russian side.

Agenda: territories, leadership levels, de-escalation

Besides the exchange, the head of state listed other topics raised during the negotiations. According to him, the Russian side brought up issues of territories and the format of a meeting at the leadership level. Zelenskyy added that in the coming days, the focus will shift to "de-escalation steps, energy, the Black Sea, the exchange once again, and a trilateral meeting at the leadership level, if possible." Thus, the prisoner exchange fits into a broader package of issues under discussion, including security in the Black Sea and the energy sector.

Humanitarian track and SBU leadership position

Previously, the head of the Office of the President, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Ukraine intended to pay significant attention to the humanitarian track during negotiations with the US and Russia in Abu Dhabi. He emphasized the need to intensify prisoner exchanges. According to RBC-Ukraine sources, the possibility of a large exchange between Ukraine and Russia became one of the topics of discussion. The totality of these statements indicates that the humanitarian component has been moved to the center of the negotiation process.

Context: completed exchange stages

The discussion of the "1,000-for-1,000" formula is happening against the backdrop of already implemented exchange stages. According to RFI, Kyiv and Moscow previously exchanged prisoners using a "205-for-205" formula, which Zelenskyy called the "first stage" of the thousand-for-thousand exchange formula. This means that the currently stated goal on the scale of 1,000 or 1,500 is viewed as a continuation and expansion of the process already begun, rather than its start. Details on the progress of the trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi continue to be clarified.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine and Russia discussing prisoner swap of 1,000-for-1,000 or 1,500-for-1,500