Trump and Putin Discuss Possible Prisoner Exchange

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a lengthy call this week, where they talked about a potential prisoner exchange involving nine Americans, according to reports.

Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Putin who has also been the U.S. ambassador to Russia, shared this information after their two-hour conversation on Monday. During the call, both leaders considered the idea of each nation releasing nine individuals, although Ushakov did not provide further specifics.

The State Department has not responded yet to inquiries about this discussion.

This conversation follows the recent release of Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American who spent over a year detained in Russia.

After their call, both Trump and Putin spoke positively about the discussion, though the tangible outcomes of the conversation are still unclear. Putin described the talk as “frank” and “useful.” Meanwhile, Trump mentioned on social media that the situation between Russia and Ukraine might lead to upcoming ceasefire negotiations, suggesting that steps toward ending the conflict could be imminent.

Putin also indicated that a ceasefire is achievable but emphasized the need for both countries to reach a fair compromise.