US President Donald Trump said Thursday that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky should not be an "obstacle" to concluding an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, and added that he believes Putin is "ready" for that. On Friday, Moscow and Kiev announced the exchange of 300 prisoners of war from each side, in the second round of an exchange that saw the return of 500 soldiers from the two countries to their homes.
Published on: 03/06/2026 - 11:09 Last updated: 03/06/2026 - 13:54
US President Donald Trump called on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky again to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, and said that Vladimir Putin was "ready" for that.
Trump said in an interview with Politico: “Zelensky must move and reach an agreement,” adding: “It is unreasonable for him to be an obstacle,” stressing that the Ukrainian leader “is not in control of things.”
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The US President continued: "I believe that Putin is ready to reach an agreement."
Washington is exerting pressure to put an end to the war sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which has since turned into the most violent armed conflict in Europe since World War II, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and leaving widespread destruction, especially in the east and south of the country.
But previous rounds of negotiations, led by the United States between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Geneva and Abu Dhabi, did not result in a solution, including on a major point of contention related to territory.
Russia and Ukraine exchange a thousand prisoners
On Friday, Russia and Ukraine announced the exchange of 300 prisoners of war from each side, in the second round of an exchange that saw the return of 500 soldiers from the two countries to their homes.
“Another 300 Ukrainian defenders are returning home from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said on the platforms, adding that among them were two civilians. He posted photos showing soldiers getting off buses, wrapping themselves in Ukrainian flags.
Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on the Telegram application: “There will be an exchange of prisoners of war with Ukraine, 500 for 500,” indicating that this falls within the agreements concluded in the tripartite talks between Moscow, Kiev, and Washington in Geneva, to find a way out to end the conflict.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense explained that the UAE and the United States contributed to mediating the completion of the exchange on Thursday, which included 200 captured Russian soldiers in exchange for 200 Ukrainian prisoners.
France 24/AFP
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