Putin, Trump discuss potential US-Russia prisoner swap during phone call

May 20, 2025 12:06 AM IST

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin and Trump discussed “swapping nine people for nine people,” but gave no details on who the prisoners are.

The Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed a new potential new prisoner swap between the two countries and were both in favour of normalising ties — massively soured by Moscow’s Ukraine offensive — during a two-hour call Monday.

US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on May 19.(AFP)

The leaders spoke for the third time since Trump took office this year in a call mostly focused on resolving the three-year Ukraine conflict.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the pair had discussed “swapping nine people for nine people” — without giving any details on which prisoners.

Russia and the United States have held several prisoner exchanges in recent years, with the biggest East-West swap taking place last year.

Ushakov said Putin and Trump were in favour of improving Moscow-Washington ties.

“Both expressed they were in favour for the further normalisation of ties,” he said.

The United States imposed huge sanctions on Russia for its 2022 Ukraine offensive.

The Kremlin also said that Putin had discussed issues around Iran — one of Moscow’s allies — with Trump, as tensions soar between Tehran and Washington.

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