Grigory Yavlinsky’s web-site, 28.05.2025

Photo: The Economist

The largest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict has been completed.

Against the backdrop of rising tensions – statements about the lifting of restrictions by several EU countries on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine for strikes deep into Russia and large-scale attacks on Ukrainian targets – two thousand people have been saved.

This is the largest prisoner exchange in over three years. On Friday, 23 May, on the first day [of the exchange], 390 people from both sides were exchanged on the Belarus territory. On Saturday, a further 307 people were exchanged, and 303 people on Sunday.

Thus, thanks to agreements reached during negotiations in Istanbul, two thousand people have returned home to their families – including not only military personnel, but also civilians among them.

This is an important event that should be supported and welcomed in every way. It clearly demonstrates that compromise is possible even in conditions of severe and protracted conflict. And this means there is hope for achieving the main goal at present – an agreement on a ceasefire.

Those who today declare the Istanbul negotiations “failed” essentially ignore human lives and deliberately attempt to break the prospects. For them, the liberation and saving of the lives of two thousand people and the diplomatic agreements that have taken place are not a result. People’s fates hold no value for them. This means the only thing they want is the continuation of large-scale military operations – with destruction, suffering and death.

In conditions where any step towards saving lives requires great effort and political will, the cynical, propagandistic, and possibly mercenary devaluation of the results of any contacts between the parties, and especially such contacts that preserve human lives and free people from suffering, is a path to the continuation of tragedy.

Such steps as large-scale prisoner exchanges are extremely useful for further agreements on ceasefire. This is precisely what has been most important over the past 2.5 years.

Source: https://www.yavlinsky.ru/article/obmen-shag-k-prekrashheniyu-ognya/