Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday that Ukraine anticipates a prisoner exchange with Russia to occur ‘very soon.’ Following discussions at the latest trilateral peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Zelenskyy revealed that the negotiations addressed topics that could not be resolved over the phone.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude towards his negotiating team for their efforts and acknowledged the constructive role of US envoys in the ongoing talks. He emphasized Ukraine’s support for the US in facilitating a dignified resolution to the conflict, highlighting the potential impact of international pressure on achieving peace.

Zelenskyy expressed optimism about the possibility of organizing another round of negotiations by February, with the hope that these talks would yield productive outcomes. He assured that Ukraine is prepared to address the ‘most difficult questions’ in upcoming discussions, underscoring the significance of future negotiations in the trilateral format, including the US.

The Ukrainian president reiterated the importance of progress on humanitarian issues, specifically the continuation of prisoner of war exchanges, which he expects to happen imminently. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened with the country’s Security Council, where presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, head of Moscow’s delegation in Geneva, briefed him on the talks. Details from this meeting have not been disclosed to the public.

Russia and Ukraine have engaged in a series of peace talks, with the third round taking place in Geneva on February 17-18, following previous rounds in Abu Dhabi earlier in the year.