Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that the first stage of a major prison swap with Russia has taken place in Turkey, with 390 people released today, and more activity expected over the weekend (16:09).
Earlier today, German chancellor Friedrich Merz urged China to help Western countries bring about a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia (13:33), while Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov downplayed suggestions that peace talks could be hosted by the Vatican (11:28).
US president Donald Trump said he would introduce 50% tariffs on the European Union, lamenting the bloc was “very difficult to deal with” as bilateral talks on trade were “going nowhere” (13:52).
The two candidates in the Polish presidential election run-off on 1 June will face each other in a televised debate tonight, but last hours before the event were dominated by discussions about one of the candidate’s past involvement in football hooliganism (14:46).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy confirms major prisoner swap with Russia
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just confirmed that the first stage of a major prison swap with Russia has taken place in Turkey, with 390 people released today.
The swap will continue over the weekend.
Here is what he said:
We are bringing our people home. The first stage of the “1000-for-1000” exchange agreement has been carried out. This agreement was reached during the meeting in Türkiye, and it is crucial to implement it in full.
Today – 390 people. On Saturday and Sunday, we expect the exchange to continue.
Thank you to everyone who is helping and working 24/7 to bring Ukrainian men and women back home. It is very important to return everyone who remains in captivity. We are verifying every surname, every detail about each person. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to make such steps possible.
