Russia, Ukraine exchange prisoners in an attempt to defuse tensions

A prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine could represent the start of a major shift in relations between the two nations as newly-minted Ukrainian Volodomyr Zelensky seeks to defuse tensions in Crimea.

The two countries exchanged 70 prisoners Saturday in what is being considered a significant breakthrough for the neighboring countries that have been mired in turmoil since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, launching a five-year war between Ukraine government forces and Russia-backed separatists in the region. The exchange reportedly included 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia last year, a Ukrainian filmmaker, a Russian journalist, and a "key suspect" in the downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight over eastern Ukraine that killed 298 people in 2015.

The long-anticipated act of diplomacy serves as the first major campaign promise fulfilled by Zelensky, who called it "the first stage to unblock our dialogue" and "the first step to stop the war." The swap may also represent a sign to Europe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to compromise, The New York Times reports. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the exchange was "hopeful" and President Trump described it as a possible "first giant step to peace." Read more at The New York Times and RFERL.

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