WASHINGTON

The US thanked Türkiye on Wednesday for its role in a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, hours after the Turkish president announced the swap.

"I would like to thank the Turkish government for helping facilitate the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia, building on their leadership on the grain deal," President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter.

His tweet came after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the two nations had exchanged 200 prisoners as a result of Türkiye's mediation and diplomatic efforts conducted with the leaders of the two countries.

Erdogan told reporters in New York City that the prisoner exchange under Türkiye's mediation was an "important step" towards ending the war between the two countries.

He said efforts to establish peace between Russia and Ukraine continue.

The president also thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding: "I would also like to thank all my friends who contributed to this process."