Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not qualified to sign peace agreements because he has not renewed his mandate at the polls. Following these statements, Keith Kellogg, special representative of the White House for Ukraine, urged the country to hold elections as soon as possible to reaffirm its democratic character.
During an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, Zelensky revealed that he estimates the number of fallen Ukrainian soldiers in combat to be 45,100. Despite this, he expressed his willingness to meet face-to-face with Putin to seek an end to the war, emphasizing that he will not be 'kind to Putin.'
An exchange of 150 prisoners of war from each side between Russia and Ukraine took place, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. In a humanitarian gesture facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, the released military personnel received medical treatment and were transported to their respective countries.
Zelensky detailed that currently Ukraine cannot hold elections as it is under martial law. The president also mentioned that there are 390,000 cases of injured soldiers and estimated 350,000 dead and 700,000 injured on the Russian side. He expressed his perception of Putin as an enemy and explained that elections will be held when the war situation calms down and martial law, which has been in effect since the large-scale Russian invasion, ends.
