Zelensky proposes 'all for all' POW swap as 'start' of ending war

KIEV

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on February 24, 2025, (from L) OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrun Mjoll Frostadottir, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, Latvia's President Edgars Rinkevics, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Finland's President Alexander Stubb, Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Estonia's President Kristen Michal, Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and France's Delegate Minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad stand in respect during a ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a complete exchange of all prisoners of war with Russia as the "start" of a process on ending the conflict.

"Russia must release Ukrainians. Ukraine is ready to exchange all for all, and this is a fair way to start," Zelensky said in a summit in Kiev on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion.

"This year should be the year of the beginning of a real, lasting peace. Putin will not give us peace or give it to us in exchange for something. We have to win peace through strength and wisdom and unity," Zelensky said.

Zelensky hailed his country's "resistance" and "heroism" as European leaders arrived in Kiev in a show of solidarity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to launch what he called a "special military operation" set off the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.

Tens of thousands of soldiers — from both sides — and Ukrainian civilians have been killed, cities across the country's south and east have been flattened and millions forced to flee their homes.

But three years after the West rallied behind Ukraine and Zelensky, Trump's return to the White House has threatened to upend that coalition of support and has brought vital military and financial aid into question at a critical juncture in the war.

Russian troops are still advancing across the east and Moscow has been emboldened by Trump's diplomatic outreach and his scepticism over long-term support for Kiev.

Zelensky on Monday hailed "three years of resistance. Three years of gratitude. Three years of absolute heroism of Ukrainians," adding: I thank everyone who defends and supports it."

Arriving in Kiev by train, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine was fighting "for survival" and that Europe's "destiny" was at stake in Ukraine.

"We are in Kiev today, because Ukraine is Europe. In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It's Europe's destiny," she said in a post on X.

Brussels on Monday hit Russia with a new round of sanctions targeting not only "the Russian shadow fleet but those who support the operation of unsafe oil tankers, videogame controllers used to pilot drones, banks used to circumvent our sanctions, and propaganda outlets used to spout lies," the European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.

In an apparent rebuke of Trump's moves to sideline Kiev from talks on how to end the war, EU Council President Antonio Costa said: "In Ukraine, about Ukraine, with Ukraine."

The presidents or prime ministers of Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Spain and Sweden had all arrived in Kiev on Monday morning, according to their posts on social media and Ukraine's Suspilne public broadcaster.

  'Turning point' 

Zelensky said 13 leaders would be in Kiev on Monday with another 24 joining a special meeting online.

The Ukrainian leader said he hoped it would be a "turning point".

He is calling for security guarantees from Kiev's backers to ensure Russia does not use any ceasefire to rearm and attack again at a later date.

On Sunday he offered to resign if it meant Ukraine could be given NATO membership.

The Kremlin on the eve of the anniversary repeated Russia's position that it would not give up territory it has captured in Ukraine's east and south.

Moscow has also said it would not accept Ukrainian admission to NATO.

Trump is pushing both Ukraine and Russia for a swift end to the war.

Triggering alarm in Kiev and across Europe, he has restarted diplomacy with Moscow, calling Putin for a 90-minute phone conversation and despatching Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

On the battlefield, Russian troops have been advancing while on Monday Ukraine claimed to have hit a Russian oil refinery southeast of Moscow in its latest drone attack deep behind the front line.

  ' I don't want to give up' 

French President Emmanuel Macron was due in Washington later Monday for a meeting with Trump.

He said he plans to tell the Republican: "You cannot be weak in the face of President Putin."

Europe has been left scrambling to respond as Trump and his team have not only questioned support for Ukraine, but also decades of transatlantic security cooperation between the United States and its key European allies.

EU sanctions

The European Union on Monday hit Russia with a new round of sanctions aimed at curbing its war effort on the third anniversary of the Kremlin's full-scale invasion.

It is the 16th round of sanctions imposed by the 27-nation bloc on Russia since Moscow launched its all-out assault on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

"This new round of sanctions not only targets the Russian shadow fleet but those who support the operation of unsafe oil tankers, videogame controllers used to pilot drones, banks used to circumvent our sanctions, and propaganda outlets used to spout lies," EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.

The fresh sanctions put restrictions on imports of Russian aluminium and blacklist 74 vessels from the so-called "shadow fleet" used by Russia to circumvent limits on oil exports.

"There is no doubt about who the aggressor is, who should pay and be held accountable for this war," Kallas said.

"With talks underway to end Russia's aggression, we must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position. Sanctions provide leverage."

The latest EU sanctions also prohibit sales of games consoles to Russia that can be used to control drones on the battlefield and ban eight Russian outlets from broadcasting in the bloc.