Russia-Ukraine talks: Prisoner exchange agreed upon, Ukraine requests Putin-Zelenskyy meeting

Neither Zelenskyy nor Putin attended the talks.

May 16, 2025, 11:04 AM

Russia and Ukraine agreed to a prisoner exchange during peace talks in Turkey on Friday, which were led by a U.S. delegation headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The two sides will conduct a 1,000 for 1,000 person prisoner exchange at a yet-to-be determined time, officials said.

Both sides also agreed to present their vision for a ceasefire, officials said.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya attend a press conference following Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, Turkey, May 16, 2025.
Leonhard Foeger/Reuters

Notably absent from Friday's talks were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is in Albania, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in Moscow.

Ukrainian officials on Friday asked for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin; Russia officials said they would take the proposed meeting under advisement.

The Turkish foreign minister said Russia and Ukraine have agreed in principle to come together again after Friday's talks in Istanbul, which lasted for 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Vladimir Medinsky, Counselor to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Head of the Russian delegation, speaks to press following Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, Turkey, May 16, 2025.
Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu via Getty Images

President Donald Trump said Friday morning in Abu Dhabi that he wants to meet with Putin "as soon as we can set it up" to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.

"We're going to do it," Trump said. "I actually think it's time for us to do it."

Trump suggested that "in two or three weeks" the world could be "a much, much safer place."

PHOTO: TURKEY-NATO-RUSSIA-UKRAINE-DIPLOMACY-CONFLICT
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Foreign Ministry on May 16, 2025, shows Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (2nd R), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd L), Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga (L), walking at the backyard of the Turkish Presidential office Dolmabahce, in Istanbul, ahead their meeting for Ukraine-Russia peace talks.
Handout/TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY/AFP

"I will tell you that the world is a much safer place right now, and I think in two or three weeks we could have it be a much, much safer place," Trump said. "We're going to handle a couple of situations that you have here with some very serious situations. and we're looking at Gaza, and we've got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. A lot of people. There's a lot of bad things going on."

A Ukrainian diplomatic source in Istanbul has told ABC News that "we value President Trump's genuine effort to end the war and stop the killing. Ukraine itself is the country that wants peace more than anyone else."

"We're going to get it done," Trump said of Ukraine negotiations. "Five thousand young people are being killed every single week on average, and we're going to get it done."

ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

Related Topics

Sponsored Content by Taboola

OSZAR »