Zelensky Demands Inclusion in US-Russia Diplomacy; Easter POW Exchange Offers Humanitarian Progress

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly criticizes the continuing U.S.-Russia diplomatic track for excluding Kyiv, demanding any peace framework be 'fair' and directly involve Ukraine. The criticism follows three rounds of U.S.-Russia talks held in UAE and Switzerland in January-February 2026 that produced no breakthrough on the core territorial issues. Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff has been the primary U.S. interlocutor with the Kremlin. Russia's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov signals Moscow expects to reject Ukraine's 20-point peace counterproposal as incompatible with Russian positions, citing Ukraine's refusal to accept territorial realities. Against this diplomatic stalemate, a 175-for-175 prisoner of war exchange on April 11, facilitated by the UAE, returns 175 Ukrainian soldiers, 7 civilians, and 25 officers previously refused by Russia — providing a rare humanitarian milestone amid the broader deadlock.