The two sides agreed to have a prisoner exchange of 1,200 people, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said.

A face-to-face meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders is needed "to truly ensure a lasting peace," Zelensky said late on Saturday.

Volodymyr Zelensky was once Ukraine’s saviour. In the first hours of the Russian invasion, as Putin’s paratroopers advanced on Central Kyiv with specific orders to kill him, Zelensky refused to evacuate.

The United States and Russia are navigating rising tensions with the Ukrainian conflict at the center. Trump issued a firm demand, calling for a peace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants cease-fire negotiations next week and would be willing to meet directly and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, was confirmed as the country’s new prime minister on Thursday and will replace former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who has served as prime minister since 2020. Shmyhal will remain part of the Zelensky government as the newly appointed defense minister.