CW31: US-Russia Prisoner Exchange
On August 1 2024 a major prisoner exchange took place - see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Ankara_prisoner_exchange
It is fascinating that while we have a war raging in the Ukraine with Russia on the one side and the US heavily supporting the other side, it is still possible to talk and negotiate a prisoner exchange. While for victims of the war this may look cynical (How can you even talk to them??), from the perspective of peace it looks hopeful: Rational procedures still work, it is possible to find agreements, even when we disagree and fight on other fields.
It really becomes problematic when we cut the channels we use for communication.
A sidenote: Turkey mediated in the conflict. Turkey is in an interesting middle position in the whole question of "End of Globalized Order": On the one hand they are part of NATO, a growing military power and a rival to Russia in the region. But they are also a critic of the west and now a critic of Israel, trying to gain support from the muslim world.
While Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are clearly in the anti-western camp, countries like India, Turkey, South Africa are trying to "muddle through", using the tensions to profit from both sides.