Kyiv prioritises prisoner swaps in talks with Türkiye, Zelenskyy says

Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov is holding talks in Türkiye focused on resuming prisoner exchanges with Russia, a top priority for Kyiv as it seeks to bring Ukrainian captives home in the new year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on January 1.

Speaking in a video address, Zelenskyy said discussions in Türkiye with the country’s foreign minister and intelligence officials are centered on restarting prisoner swaps, which slowed toward the end of last year after previously making steady progress, Caliber.Az reports. 

“We are working very hard to resume prisoner exchanges in the new year — this is precisely the key topic in our talks with Türkiye,” Zelenskyy said, underscoring Ankara’s role as a mediator.

Rustem Umerov is in contact with the American team and our partners in Europe every single day. We are preparing formats and important meetings. On January 3, a meeting of national security advisors will take place in Ukraine. This is the first such meeting in Ukraine and it is… pic.twitter.com/KbZWegi7ze

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 1, 2026

Zelenskyy added that Umerov remains in daily contact with US officials and European partners as Ukraine prepares a series of high-level meetings aimed at advancing peace efforts and strengthening security guarantees.

On January 3, Ukraine will host a meeting of national security advisers focused on peace, the first such gathering to take place in the country. Representatives from 15 countries have confirmed their participation, along with officials from European institutions and NATO. The United States is expected to join the meeting online.

A separate meeting of military leaders, including chiefs of general staff, is scheduled for January 5. According to Zelenskyy, the talks will focus on practical aspects of security guarantees for Ukraine, covering air, land, and maritime domains in the event of an end to the war.

The diplomatic sequence will culminate on January 6 with a leaders’ meeting involving European heads of state and government and members of the so-called Coalition of the Willing. Zelenskyy said preparations are underway to ensure the meeting strengthens international support and builds political confidence in both security guarantees and a potential peace agreement.

Ending the war, Zelenskyy said, remains the central objective. 

By Sabina Mammadli