Zelenskyy says Türkiye played key role in Ukrainian POW talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Türkiye played an important role in the process of negotiating the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, but said the future of such meetings will depend on international partners.

“Türkiye served as a negotiation platform, and we reached an agreement there on the return of our prisoners. Whether it will continue this way — we will see,” Zelenskyy said, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

He also emphasised that issues related to the return of POWs and the choice of venues for peace talks will continue to be discussed with Ukraine’s partners.

In 2025, Türkiye's Istanbul hosted several rounds of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia aimed at exchanging prisoners of war and potentially advancing negotiations toward a broader peace process. 

At talks held in Istanbul in May and June 2025, both sides agreed to major prisoner exchanges, including a “1,000 for 1,000” swap of prisoners of war — the largest exchange of its kind since the conflict began — with additional arrangements for the return of severely wounded service members and the remains of fallen soldiers. 

Despite progress on POW swaps, little headway has been made on a formal ceasefire or comprehensive peace deal, and the future of talks — including where they might be held — often depends on the willingness of Ukraine, Russia, and international partners to engage further.

In early January 2026, Ukraine’s leadership continued political and security dialogues with Turkish counterparts. National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov visited Ankara around December 28–January 1, meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization head İbrahim Kalın. Discussions focused on security, negotiation progress, and humanitarian tracks, including POW returns and repatriation of civilians/children. Zelenskyy described these talks as critical for restarting exchanges in 2026.

By Khagan Isayev