Russian President holds first phone call with opposition leaders in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has just spoken by phone with opposition leaders in eastern Ukraine, the first time since the conflict in the country broke out in 2014.

The discussions focused on the issue of prisoner exchange between the Ukrainian government and opposition forces in the East, one of the core points stated in the peace agreements reached between the two sides in recent times.

Russian President holds first phone call with opposition leaders in Ukraine (Illustration photo: ITAR-TASS)

The meeting took place after the arrival of Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedtchouk, one of Ukraine's representatives in talks with opposition forces in the east, but also a close friend of the Russian president.

Mr. Medvedtchouk once suggested that President Vladimir Putin contact opposition leaders in Ukraine to promote a prisoner exchange on the basis of “all for all.”

The Russian presidential office said in a statement that separatist leaders supported the initiative, saying that further work on the issue was needed with representatives of the Ukrainian government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has never met directly with the two opposition leaders in Ukraine since the conflict in the East broke out in 2014, killing more than 10,000 people./.

According to VOV