U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reportedly reached an agreement on a prisoner exchange, just days after Trump publicly referred to Putin as “crazy.”
The deal was announced on Tuesday, May 27, by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a diplomatic forum in Turkey. Lavrov praised Trump as “a man who wants results” and revealed the prisoner swap was negotiated as part of broader discussions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. He also accused European nations of undermining those peace efforts.
Details of the exchange remain unclear, and the U.S. State Department has not confirmed which individuals are involved. However, sources told the *Kyiv Post* that Trump is seriously considering lifting certain restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American-supplied weapons against Russian targets.
This development comes shortly after Trump announced a major Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange, reportedly involving as many as 1,000 detainees on each side. In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested the deal “could lead to something big,” though he did not elaborate.
If the U.S.–Russia exchange proceeds, it would be the first since American teacher Marc Fogel was freed in February after serving over three years in a Russian prison. Several other Americans are currently held in Russia, including 72-year-old Stephen Hubbard, sentenced for allegedly fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, who was detained in May 2024 on disputed theft charges.
The agreement follows a tense weekend of diplomacy. On Saturday, Trump said he was “absolutely” considering new sanctions on Russia. The next day, he launched a sharp verbal attack on Putin, accusing him of escalating the war in Ukraine and warning that it could spell “the downfall of Russia.”
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “But something has happened to him.”
In response, the Kremlin accused Trump of suffering from “emotional overload,” but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov still thanked the former U.S. president for his role in facilitating negotiations.
“We are truly grateful to the Americans and to President Trump personally for their assistance in launching this negotiation process,” Peskov said.
Lavrov’s comments suggest a possible shift in U.S.–Russia relations. While tensions remain high, the willingness to engage in prisoner exchanges signals that both sides may be pursuing back-channel diplomacy.
Despite his efforts, Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of fueling tensions with inflammatory rhetoric.
“Everything out of his mouth causes problems. I don’t like it, and it better stop,” Trump said. He blamed the ongoing war on what he described as “Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s war—not Trump’s,” and claimed that under his leadership, the conflict would have been avoided entirely.
Trump insisted his focus is on ending a war he believes was ignited by “gross incompetence and hatred,” portraying himself as a dealmaker working to deescalate a crisis he had no part in starting.
