Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Prepared to Exchange North Korean Prisoners of War
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that his country is "ready to hand over" captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian troops held in Russia.
Facts
- Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that his country is "ready to hand over" captured North Korean soldiers in exchange for Ukrainian troops held in Russia.[1]
- Earlier in the weekend, Zelenskyy said that two North Korean soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk region and that they were receiving medical treatment in Kyiv where they were in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine.[2]
- "In addition to the first captured soldiers from North Korea, there will undoubtedly be more," Zelenskyy later wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "It's only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others."[3]
- He added, "Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un's soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia."[3]
- While such an exchange would mark the first with North Korean troops, Russia and Ukraine have frequently conducted prisoner swaps throughout the course of the nearly three-year war. In 2024, the countries conducted 11 such exchanges in which the United Arab Emirates has typically been the mediator.[4][5]
- Zelenskyy further stated that "there may be other options available" for North Korean soldiers who do not want to return home. "In particular, those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that opportunity."[3]
Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]BBC News, [3]X, [4]The Guardian and [5]Reuters.
Narratives
- Pro-Ukraine narrative, as provided by Ukrainska Pravda. Russian Pres. Putin started this war with ultimatums to NATO and with the intention of rewriting history. Three years later, he has been unable to achieve his aims and is dependent on North Korea for assistance. Ukraine is prepared to exchange these captured troops while for others who wish to remain, there may be other options.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by BBC News. The Geneva Conventions governing the rules of war state that prisoners of war must be protected against public curiosity. In broadcasting images and videos of the North Korean troops, Ukraine may have breached those laws.
