As Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day on Sunday, Moscow and Kyiv simultaneously exchanged 146 prisoners of war from each side, the Russian Defense Ministry announced. Eight residents of the Kursk border region, held in Ukraine, were also handed over to Russia, thanks to mediation by the United Arab Emirates. These exchanges, framed by agreements negotiated in Istanbul since the spring, remain the only area where the two sides maintain some form of cooperation.
Humanitarian gestures but no progress towards peace
In Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky used the commemorations to reaffirm his desire for a "just peace," while calling for continued Western support. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US envoy Keith Kellogg were present at his side. Moscow, for its part, accuses the Ukrainian president of "stubbornness" and blocking any prospect of direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin, despite mediation efforts launched by Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, the war continues. During the night, Ukraine launched new drone attacks on Russian territory, causing fires at a nuclear power plant and an oil terminal. The Russian army claims to have recaptured two villages in the Donetsk region. Three and a half years after the start of the offensive, the front remains frozen, and humanitarian gestures contrast with the complete absence of a political solution.
