Families of Ukrainian POWs anxiously watch peace effort

A relative of Ukrainian prisoners of war attends a rally demanding the release of all POWs before any peace talks or deal with Russia, amid ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine, in front of the United States embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine March 6, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KYIV (Reuters) - As U.S. President Donald Trump presses on with a plan to end the war in Ukraine, Kateryna Bohutska wants to make sure her 24-year-old son isn't forgotten.

Standing across from the U.S. embassy in Kyiv with an image of Rostyslav, a marine saxophonist held by Russia since 2022, she and some other relatives and friends of the thousands of soldiers and civilians held by Russia hope the flurry of diplomacy will set them free.