(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Wednesday his government aims to revive large-scale prisoner exchanges with Russia before end of 2025, crediting Türkiye’s diplomatic intervention and declaring Kyiv's confidence in the "strength of Turkish diplomacy."

Following high-level discussions in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskyy told reporters the bilateral meeting proved "very productive and substantive" and stressed that Ukraine "greatly" valued the trust between the two countries and their peoples.

The Ukrainian leader praised Türkiye for maintaining unwavering principles throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict and providing explicit backing for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Zelenskyy revealed both nations discussed expanded cooperation, including joint production initiatives, with technical teams now tasked with implementing agreements reached during the talks.

Ukraine is making "every effort" to restore prisoner swaps with Russia, expressing hope for the return of a significant number of Ukrainian POWs "by the end of the year."

"Türkiye is helping us greatly in this effort, and we want to personally thank you, Mr. President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan)," said Zelenskyy, noting that 2,500 Ukrainian POWs have been or are being returned to Kyiv through Turkish-mediated processes.

"We need to accelerate these processes, and we need to speed up these diplomatic efforts," he added.

Moscow and Kyiv conducted three rounds of renewed peace negotiations in Istanbul—on May 16, June 2 and July 23—yielding substantial prisoner exchanges and preliminary memoranda establishing each side's framework for a potential peace agreement to terminate the conflict that erupted in February 2022 and has now exceeded three and a half years.

The Ukrainian president said he and Erdogan addressed the "situation in diplomacy," stating many processes are intensifying and that they want to channel the activity "toward peace, a dignified peace and guaranteed security."

Declaring there is "no alternative to peace," Zelenskyy argued that he shares the same view with Türkiye that "peace and security must be guaranteed."

"We will continue to closely coordinate and work with all our partners. I am grateful for Türkiye's assistance and, once again, I thank President Erdogan. We count on the strength of Turkish diplomacy and on its clarity in Moscow," he said.

Zelenskyy also noted that "everyone" understands the importance of security in the Black Sea, adding that Ukraine's security can only be ensured together with Türkiye.

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