Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed willingness to negotiate a territorial exchange with Russia, a move that led to the release of at least one American prisoner in what U.S. President Donald Trump described as a goodwill gesture toward ending the war.
Zelensky, who had previously refused to cede any land following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, made the statement in an interview with The Guardian published Tuesday. He indicated that Kyiv was prepared for serious negotiations ahead of a scheduled meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
“We will swap one territory for another,” Zelensky stated, referring to Ukraine’s willingness to trade land in Russia’s Kursk region, which Ukrainian forces seized in a surprise offensive last year.
Acknowledging Ukraine’s security challenges, Zelensky stressed the importance of U.S. support.
“Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees,” he said.
Prisoner Release and U.S.-Russia Relations
Trump, who took office with a pledge to end the war in Ukraine, has hinted at leveraging U.S. aid to force Kyiv into territorial concessions.
In a significant diplomatic move, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff secured the release of Marc Fogel, an American imprisoned in Russia since 2021 on drug charges. This marked the first known visit by a Trump administration official to Russia since his return to the White House.
“We were treated very nicely by Russia,” Trump told reporters, describing Fogel’s release as a potential starting point for improving relations and ending the war.
Fogel, 63, was welcomed back to the U.S. on Tuesday night, with Trump recalling a promise he made to Fogel’s 95-year-old mother at a campaign rally. The White House later described the release as part of an “exchange,” with Trump suggesting that another detainee would be freed on Wednesday.
There was no immediate response from Moscow, though Russian state-run media acknowledged the White House’s announcement.
Trump’s Comments on Ukraine Stir Controversy
Earlier in the week, Trump sparked controversy by suggesting that Ukraine “may be Russian someday,” a remark that was met with approval from Moscow.
“The fact that a significant part of Ukraine wants to become Russia, and has already, is a fact,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, referencing Russia’s widely condemned annexation of four Ukrainian regions in 2022.
Trump’s statement drew sharp criticism from Ukrainians.
“It is some kind of senile insanity,” said Kyiv resident Daniil, while a Ukrainian soldier named Mykola dismissed the remarks, asserting, “Ukraine will never be Russia.”
While Trump has previously expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, he has recently urged Moscow to seek compromise, citing Russia’s heavy battlefield losses.
Ongoing Conflict
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces are striving for an advantage ahead of potential negotiations.
On Tuesday, Russia’s defense ministry announced that its troops had captured the village of Yasenove in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike on Kyiv killed at least one person, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, regional prosecutors reported that a Russian bombing killed a 40-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman.
Diplomatic Engagements and Prisoner Swaps
Since Russia’s invasion, the Biden administration had largely cut direct contact with Moscow, though intelligence officials quietly negotiated several high-profile prisoner swaps. This led to the releases of WNBA star Brittney Griner, journalist Evan Gershkovich, and former Marine Paul Whelan.
Fogel, a teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, was arrested in August 2021 for possessing 21 grams of cannabis and cannabis oil at a Moscow airport. He had lived in Russia since 2012 and was reportedly teaching English to Russians at his penal colony before his release.
Trump also announced an upcoming visit to Ukraine by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, underscoring continued U.S. diplomatic engagement in the region.
