"All-for-all" prisoner exchange should pave the way for ending war — Zelenskyy

He made this statement at the Support Ukraine meeting, which is being held on February 24 in Kyiv with the participation of several foreign leaders.

According to the President, Russia should release Ukrainian prisoners, and the "all for all" exchange, which Ukraine is prepared for, is a fair approach to ending the war.

“The end of the war should begin with steps that restore confidence in the situation itself. Because there is no trust in the Russian Federation. We need a situation in which they are talking about ending the war — a real situation. And right now, such a step could be the release of prisoners. Thousands of them. Thousands of people being held in Russia, some of whom have been detained not just since 2022, but even earlier, since 2014,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

He stressed that peace cannot be declared in just one hour or one day. According to Zelenskyy, when U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg visited Kyiv, he handed him and U.S. President Donald Trump a document listing all the ceasefires with specific dates, showing how Russia had repeatedly broken them.

“Therefore, peace can be the result of balanced diplomacy and absolutely clear security guarantees,” the Ukrainian leader noted.

He also emphasized that as the war against Ukraine continues, Ukraine should be at the negotiating table together with Europe.

“Russia's strategic target is Europe and the European way of life. So, Europe's security and its fate cannot be determined without Europe. Ukraine, Europe, and America must be at the negotiating table with Russia so that the need for peace is not again obscured by promises of normalization, reset, or reconciliation,” the President of Ukraine said. 

According to Zelenskyy, Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not offer peace, nor will he provide it in exchange for anything. “We must win peace by force,” the president stated.

“Ukraine deserves not only EU membership, but also the security guarantees provided by NATO. And if NATO membership remains closed to Ukraine, we will have no choice but to build NATO in Ukraine, that is, to provide the kind of funding, contingent and defense production that will mean guaranteed peace. Can we do it alone? No,” Zelenskyy stated.

He thanked all the partners who are ready to help Ukraine in this regard.