Prisoner Swap Confirmed After Trump’s Blunt Words for Putin and Zelensky

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a new prisoner exchange, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who disclosed the development during a Tuesday event in Turkey.

Lavrov described Trump as “a man who wants results,” while also accusing European nations of attempting to “sabotage” ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Lavrov’s comments followed a weekend of rapid diplomatic developments involving both Washington and Moscow.

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While the U.S. State Department has not confirmed the details of the proposed exchange, Lavrov’s statement marks the first official confirmation of an upcoming U.S.-Russia prisoner swap since American citizen Marc Fogel was released from a Russian prison in February after serving more than three years.

The potential deal comes on the heels of a major Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange that President Trump revealed four days earlier.

That exchange, according to Trump’s post on Truth Social, involved approximately 1,000 prisoners from each side and, he said, “could lead to something big.”

No specific terms or further context were provided.

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Sources speaking to the Kyiv Post reported that Trump is also “seriously considering” removing restrictions on how Ukraine can use U.S.-supplied weapons in Russian territory—an issue that has been a point of contention throughout the conflict.

A number of U.S. citizens remain in Russian custody and could be included in the swap.

One is Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old American sentenced to nearly seven years in prison in 2023 for allegedly fighting on behalf of Ukraine.

Another is Gordon Black, a 35-year-old U.S. Army staff sergeant arrested in May 2024 on disputed theft charges.

President Trump has played a highly visible role in recent negotiations and issued strong public comments on the state of the war in Ukraine.

On Saturday, he told reporters that he was “absolutely” considering the imposition of new sanctions against Russia.

The following day, Trump called Putin “absolutely crazy” and warned that the ongoing aggression against Ukraine “will lead to the downfall of Russia.”

“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He also criticized Russia’s ongoing strikes during active negotiations, calling them responsible for “the needless killing of a lot of people.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to Trump’s remarks by acknowledging the intense nature of current talks.

“We are really grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process,” Peskov said.

He added that the process was marked by “emotional overload” on all sides.

Despite the Kremlin’s response to Trump’s remarks about Putin, Lavrov followed up by praising Trump, emphasizing his willingness to achieve outcomes even in high-stakes international matters.

Trump also commented on Putin’s goals in Ukraine, stating, “Putin wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it.”

He criticized what he described as past concessions made to the Kremlin and reiterated that the current war “would never have started if I were President.”

“This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War, not ‘Trump’s,’” he wrote on Truth Social.

“I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred.”

Trump also issued critical remarks toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing the Ukrainian leader’s rhetoric.

“President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does,” Trump said.

“Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop.”

Tensions between the two leaders have been well-documented. Earlier this year, Trump and Zelenskyy clashed during a contentious Oval Office meeting.

However, more recently, relations appeared to improve following a landmark agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine on critical minerals.

The announcement of the U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange adds another layer to the evolving dynamics between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv as the war in Ukraine continues and diplomatic efforts accelerate.

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