Moscow, July 10, 2026 – The Europe Today: Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Moscow proposed a new prisoner exchange with Ukraine involving 500 Ukrainian servicemen held in Russia, but alleged that Kyiv was unwilling to proceed with the arrangement.
Speaking during a live address, Putin said Russia had submitted a proposal accompanied by a list of 500 Ukrainian military personnel in Russian custody.
According to the Russian president, Ukraine initially indicated that it wanted to review the proposal and suggested that a smaller exchange involving around 200 prisoners might be considered.
Putin claimed that communication subsequently ceased and that Ukrainian authorities later informed Russia they were not prepared to carry out the proposed exchange.
“We had submitted a proposal to Ukraine for an exchange and sent a list of 500 Ukrainian servicemen held in Russia,” Putin said, adding that Kyiv had ultimately stated it was “not ready” for the exchange.
During the same address, Putin also reflected on events surrounding Ukraine’s negotiations with the European Union prior to the 2014 political crisis.
He said that, at the time, Russia and Ukraine maintained open borders and free trade arrangements, arguing that Ukraine’s closer economic integration with the European Union would have required Russia to reconsider existing trade preferences and restrictions on various industrial goods.
Putin further claimed that the European side had taken what he described as an uncompromising position during negotiations, leaving little room for adjustments.
Referring to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Putin said Yanukovych had sought additional time to assess the economic implications of the proposed agreement with the European Union, arguing that the potential impact on Ukraine’s economy required further evaluation before a final decision could be made.
Ukraine has not publicly responded to Putin’s latest remarks regarding the proposed prisoner exchange. The two countries have previously carried out multiple prisoner swaps during the ongoing conflict through negotiations facilitated by various intermediaries.
