As Trump claims that the release of prisoners signals the beginning of the end of the war in Ukraine, Zelensky offers land swaps.

In what President Donald Trump's administration characterized as a goodwill gesture to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky stated that he was prepared to exchange territory in talks with Russia, which on Tuesday released an American prisoner.

Zelensky said he is prepared for difficult discussions with US Vice President JD Vance, a strong opponent of US military assistance to Ukraine, whom he will see with Friday at the Munich Security Conference.

In an interview with The Guardian, he declared, "We will exchange one territory for another."

Zelensky, who has previously refused to give up any area that Russia has invaded, declared that he was willing to exchange land in the Kursk region of Russia, which Ukraine took in an unexpected attack last year.

He agreed that Ukraine could not rely solely on European allies to provide security guarantees.

"Real security guarantees are not those that do not include America," he stated.

Trump came into office promising to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine, maybe by using the billions of dollars in US aid that Biden had given to pressure Kyiv into giving up territory.

In the first known visit by a member of the Trump administration to Russia since he returned to the White House last month, envoy Steve Witkoff secured the release of Marc Fogel, an American jailed since 2021 on drug charges. The White House described his release as part of a “exchange," without offering further details. The US envoy in charge of hostages, Adam Boehler, posted a picture that appeared to show Fogel savoring a stiff drink on a jet home, his other hand clasping both his passport and a plate of food.

In a statement, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated, "President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the President's advisors negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine."

Russia did not immediately respond to the White House decision, which was cited by state-run news outlets.

In December, the Supreme Court of Russia dismissed Fogel's appeal against his 14-year sentence.

Witkoff, a Trump friend and real estate magnate, is the official Middle East ambassador and was instrumental in advancing a precarious ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Trump also revealed that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, another member of his cabinet, will be traveling to Ukraine for a purpose unrelated to his main position.

"Russian someday."
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump hinted that Ukraine "may be Russian someday," a statement that Moscow swiftly embraced.

"He can think and say anything, but Ukraine will never be Russia," a Ukrainian soldier named Mykola remarked on a street in the heart of Kyiv.
Trump has already shown his respect for Putin and infamously supported his denial of Russian meddling in the Republican Party's 2016 election triumph, according to the US intelligence community.

However, Trump has also urged Russia to reach a settlement in recent weeks, stating that Putin must suffer significant losses.

Ahead of any negotiations, both militaries are attempting to gain a military edge.

Russia's military ministry announced on Tuesday that its forces had taken control of Yasenove, a tiny village in the eastern Donetsk area of Ukraine.

According to regional prosecutors, a 30-year-old lady and a 40-year-old man were killed by a Russian bombing in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine.

Most recent release of prisoners
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted former President Joe Biden to cut off most communication with Russia.

However, intelligence chiefs and others continued to meet in secret in third countries and negotiate exchanges that released the most well-known Americans imprisoned by Russia, including former Marine Paul Whelan, journalist Evan Gershkovich, and basketball player Britney Griner.

In August 2021, Fogel, 63, was arrested at the Moscow airport for reportedly possessing 21 grams of cannabis and cannabis oil when he was teaching at the Anglo-American School in Moscow.

Since 2012, Fogel had resided in Russia. According to reports, he was instructing Russians in English at his prison colony.

(This story was provided from an AFP syndicated news agency feed and was not edited by News18 staff.)