**Russia Releases 390 POWs, But Don’t Expect Peace Just Yet**
The recent exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine is a welcome relief for the families involved. The return of 390 Ukrainian captives from Russian custody is a humanitarian victory that deserves celebration. However, it’s essential to separate this achievement from the broader strategic reality: prisoner exchanges are not a sign of peace.
For eight years during the Minsk process, we witnessed Russia using prisoner releases as a delaying tactic in negotiations. These periodic exchanges created moments of false hope, making it seem like Russia was acting in good faith while talks continued. However, despite these concessions, Russian demands escalated, and ceasefires never materialized.
Instead, Russia consolidated control over occupied territories, and its proxies made unfounded claims on areas under Ukrainian control. This is not a coincidence; it’s a well-established strategy. Russia has perfected the art of using humanitarian gestures to maintain an illusion of productive dialogue while advancing its territorial and political objectives.
**Russia’s Negotiating Tactics**
The current situation presents familiar patterns and new variables. Some European leaders, like French President Emmanuel Macron, have experienced Russian negotiating tactics firsthand during Minsk and before the full-scale invasion. They know how Moscow uses seemingly positive developments to mask continued aggression.
As a result, Ukraine’s European partners are applying pressure on Russia to achieve peace through verified withdrawals from occupied territory, genuine respect for Ukrainian sovereignty, and denial of propaganda narratives used to spark and sustain the war.
**Real Progress**
Real progress toward ending this conflict will be measured not by prisoner releases but:
* Cessation of Russian attacks on Ukraine
* Verifiable Russian withdrawals from occupied territory
* Genuine respect for Ukrainian sovereignty
* Denial of all propaganda narratives that are being used to spark and sustain the war.
**Don’t Confuse Tactical Humanitarian Gestures with Strategic Progress**
The international community deserves clear-eyed analysis of what these exchanges actually represent. Confusing tactical humanitarian gestures with strategic progress has cost Ukraine dearly before. We cannot afford to make that mistake again.
Let’s support the families celebrating their loved ones’ return while maintaining a critical perspective on Russia’s negotiating tactics. History repeats itself, and we must learn from past mistakes to prevent another chapter in Russia’s long history of using talks to consolidate gains while preparing for the next phase of aggression.
