Recently, a series of important developments have occurred related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, such as the Russia-US summit and the largest prisoner exchange between the two countries. However, convincing the parties involved to make concessions to reach an agreement towards a sustainable, long-term peace still faces many challenges.
The nearly two-hour phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump is considered to have laid an important foundation for the peace process in Ukraine. The exchange took place in a positive atmosphere, with the two leaders reaching a consensus on many important issues.
The two sides agreed to immediately start negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and a ceasefire on energy and infrastructure facilities. The Russian President also responded positively to President Donald Trump's proposal to implement the initiative to ensure safe shipping in the Black Sea.
Immediately after the phone call, Russia conducted the largest prisoner exchange with Ukraine, specifically 175 Ukrainian soldiers were exchanged for 175 Russian soldiers. Moscow also returned 22 seriously injured Ukrainian prisoners in need of urgent medical care to demonstrate goodwill.
The Russian President’s aide announced that the next round of negotiations between Russia and the US will take place on March 24. Russia has made certain concessions, demonstrating its readiness to use dialogue to resolve the conflict.
According to Russian media, Evgeny Minchenko, Director of the Institute of International Politics (IIPE), commented that Moscow’s “goodwill gestures” such as prisoner exchanges, a 30-day ceasefire for Ukraine's energy infrastructure, etc., have broken the perception of Russia’s rigidity.
Minchenko pointed out that Russia has shown its willingness to negotiate peace, on the condition that the West must stop providing weapons and intelligence support to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Vadim Kozyulin, a senior researcher at the Russian Diplomatic Academy, highly appreciated the prisoner exchange and emphasised that these moves are a positive signal for future dialogue.
Although experts welcomed the phone call’s results, saying that recent developments have brought “light at the end of the tunnel” to the persistent conflict in Ukraine, they also commented that the journey to peace and stability is still full of thorns. Many opinions said the key conditions that Moscow has put forward since the war began have not changed, which are to completely end military support and stop providing intelligence information to Kyiv.
The fact that Russia and the US are conducting talks and negotiations on the conflict in Ukraine without the participation of Kyiv representatives has made Ukraine worried about not having a say in deciding its future and destiny. Ukraine announced that it will study in detail the contents that the US and Russia have proposed. As for the European Union (EU), this bloc is trying to find ways to play a more proactive role in the regional security structure.
At a recent meeting of European military officials, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasised that Europe should be part of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. US President Donald Trump’s involvement in a series of diplomatic moves related to the situation in Ukraine has confused Ukraine and Europe.
However, public opinion acknowledges that dialogue and negotiations are a rare bright spot in the effort to find peace, which has been “stuck in place” in recent years. Although the upcoming negotiation process is still full of difficulties as each side has its calculations and interests, the “door to peace” for Ukraine has finally “opened”.
NDO
