Russia Agrees Fresh Prisoner Swap as Ukraine Peace Talks Revived
- Merkel says leaders achieved fresh momentum with Paris summit
- Macron is pushing Europeans to bring Putin back into the fold
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy breathed new life into efforts to end the violence in eastern Ukraine, agreeing at a summit in Paris on Monday to a fresh exchange of prisoners and the withdrawal of some troops.
Flanked by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin and Zelenskiy agreed to meet again in the same format within four months to discuss holding elections in the disputed Donbas region. At the same time, both sides highlighted the serious obstacles to a permanent settlement. Zelenskiy made it clear he demanded Ukraine regain control of its eastern border before any vote. Putin said that the elections must come first.