Zelensky Says Ukraine Seeks Türkiye’s Help to Resume Prisoner Exchanges

Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov held a series of high-level meetings in Ankara as Kyiv seeks to revive stalled prisoner exchanges with Russia, a priority underlined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a televised video address.

As BosphorusNews reported earlier Türkiye confirmed the recent developments regarding the prisoners of war (POW).

In his address, Zelensky said Umerov’s visit to Türkiye was focused squarely on humanitarian outcomes, particularly the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

“Today, Rustem Umerov is holding meetings in Türkiye — with the Foreign Minister of Türkiye and, next, with representatives of the intelligence services. We are working very hard to resume prisoner exchanges in the new year. This is precisely the key topic in our talks with Türkiye. We need this facilitation to bring our Ukrainians home from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky noted that prisoner exchanges had slowed toward the end of the year and stressed that restoring this mechanism was among Kyiv’s most urgent priorities. He framed Türkiye’s role as a practical channel rather than a symbolic one, emphasizing Ankara’s ability to maintain dialogue amid continued hostilities.

During his Ankara meetings, Umerov met Hakan Fidan and İbrahim Kalın, where discussions covered the security situation in Ukraine, developments on the battlefield, and humanitarian issues linked to detainees and prisoners of war.

According to Ukrainian readouts, Umerov described the talks as substantive and focused on concrete outcomes. “We discussed the security situation, the ongoing war, and steps to ensure the return of our detainees and prisoners. Türkiye remains an important partner in efforts aimed at humanitarian results,” Umerov said, underlining the importance Kyiv attaches to Ankara’s engagement.

Umerov also emphasized that the prisoner exchange issue cannot be separated from broader security dynamics. He said Ukraine continues to pursue all available diplomatic and humanitarian channels to secure the release of its citizens, while maintaining coordination with partners capable of sustaining communication lines under difficult conditions.

The Ankara meetings reflect Türkiye’s continued involvement as a diplomatic interlocutor in the Russia–Ukraine war, particularly on humanitarian files where channels remain open despite the absence of broader political progress. Turkish officials have repeatedly positioned such engagements as part of a policy focused on de-escalation, dialogue, and humanitarian relief rather than formal mediation claims.

As the conflict enters another year, Kyiv’s emphasis on prisoner exchanges underscores the growing weight of humanitarian diplomacy alongside military and political calculations, with Türkiye remaining one of the few actors able to engage both sides on sensitive issues.