Ukraine plans large-scale prisoner exchange with Russia
(Baonghean) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko announced that his country plans to conduct a major prisoner exchange with Russia and hopes it will take place next week.
In a statement by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko on October 4 on Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel, he said that Ukraine is planning to conduct a major prisoner exchange with Russia.
"I hope very soon, and I mean next week to be exact, we plan to conduct a large-scale prisoner exchange," Mr. Prystaiko shared.
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| With the prisoner exchange and electricity trade, it can be seen that the Russia-Ukraine relationship is improving since Ukraine has a new President - Photo: Guardian |
The comments come after a breakthrough in talks between Russia and Ukraine this week that paved the way for an international summit to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine also exchanged dozens of prisoners on September 7.
Russia-Ukraine relations have deteriorated rapidly since Russia annexed Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine broke out in 2014. However, since April 2019, efforts to ease tensions between the two countries have been accelerated when Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky came to power. According to experts, the prisoner exchange will open a positive sign in the relationship between the two neighboring countries has improved after Russia annexed Crimea five years ago.
In addition to the prisoner exchange, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Cherezov recently announced that Crimea will provide surplus electricity to Ukraine if it needs it. But to do so, Ukraine will have to complete the power transmission infrastructure that has been damaged since 2014.
"It will depend on Ukraine. The power transmission line that exploded is still there, it has not been repaired. We are ready to make a connection at any time if there is a need and if Ukraine is ready to do it," Deputy Prime Minister Cherezov told reporters on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week Forum.
