Russia backs down despite Trump's 'crazy' Putin comment and signals major breakthrough

and have agreed to a prisoner exchange, according to Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Speaking in Turkey, Lavrov praised the US president as a man who seeks results, while alleging that some European countries were undermining his efforts. This comes after sources informed the that Mr Trump was seriously contemplating lifting all restrictions on Ukraine's use of weapons against Russia.

wanting to end the war in Ukraine, which started with Putin's invasion in 2022, it has not retreated from its extreme demands for Ukraine to essentially disarm and surrender large areas of territory. If the deal is verified by the US State Department and implemented, it will be the first exchange since last month when Russian-American former ballerina accused of treason, Ksenia Karelina, was released in return for Russian national Arthur Petrov.

American teacher Marc Fogel was released in February after being imprisoned for over three years for a minor medical cannabis offence, in exchange for convicted money launderer Alexander Vinnik.

This followed the most extensive prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War, where four US residents who were - including journalist Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan - were freed last August.

The agreement involved seven countries and saw the release of 24 individuals, among them five Germans and seven Russian nationals held in Russia, as well as eight Russians incarcerated in the US, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, and Poland.

The latest reports of a prisoner swap come after Mr Trump called his Russian counterpart "absolutely crazy" after attacks on Ukraine.

The Republican took to Truth Social on Sunday to voice his concerns, stating that Putin "has gone absolutely CRAZY!" and is "needlessly killing a lot of people" following Russia's extensive aerial bombardment of Ukraine on Saturday.

The onslaught utilised drones and missiles to strike over 30 cities and villages.

Despite the violence, with a significant prisoner exchange involving hundreds of soldiers and civilians, marking the largest such trade in the three-year conflict to date.

The exchange was settled during discussions in Istanbul earlier this month, although these talks did not culminate in a ceasefire.