Ukraine foes to swap prisoners
Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian separatists in the war-torn east of the country are expected to swap dozens of prisoners in a frontline operation today.
Both sides had said earlier this month they would carry out a prisoner exchange by the end of the year, following high-profile peace talks in Paris aimed at de-escalating Europe’s only active war.
“There should be an exchange tomorrow. We are waiting for this. The verification of all people is not yet complete,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told journalists in comments quoted by his press service.
Earlier, a spokeswoman for the self-declared rebel republic of Donetsk, Daria Morozova, announced that there was an agreement for the swap.
She said two separatist territories Donetsk and Luhansk will get 87 prisoners, while 55 others will be handed over to Kyiv, without giving details on the identity of those involved.
The prisoner exchange is expected to take place near the town of Horlivka in the separatist-held Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine’s industrial heartland.
Russian media reported that the operation will take place on the front line.
The swap would come three months after Ukraine carried out a long-awaited exchange with Russia of 35 prisoners each.
More than 13,000 people have been killed since pro-Russia militias in eastern Ukraine launched a bid for independence in 2014 – kicking off a conflict that deepened Russia’s estrangement from the West.
Details of today’s exchange were scarce, with officials saying that lists of prisoners were still being agreed.
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Representative Martin Sajdik confirmed that preparations for the swap were under way.
At the Paris summit this month, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine agreed to implement a full ceasefire and proceed with a new withdrawal of forces from conflict zones by March 2020.
The latest swap also comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskiy held their first face-to-face talks and agreed measures to de-escalate the conflict.
The December 9 summit was the first of its kind in three years.
Since coming to power in May, comedian-turned-president Zelenskiy, 41, has sought to revive a peace process to end the separatist conflict.
The Kremlin has previously sent signals that it is ready to work with the Ukrainian president, whom Putin has described as “likeable” and “sincere”.
Ahead of the summit, Kyiv and separatists completed a partial troop pullback.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at the time of the Paris meeting a new summit would be held in four months to take stock of progress on ending the conflict.
Countries have sought to revive accords signed in Minsk in 2015 that call for the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the restoration of Kyiv’s control over its borders, wider autonomy for Donetsk and Luhansk, and the holding of local elections.
But there was no sign of warmth between the Ukraine and Russian leaders in Paris and many doubt whether Putin genuinely wants to settle the conflict.
Speaking in Moscow this month, Putin said that if Kyiv gets back control of the border in the east pro-Russian residents of separatist-held territories could be targeted.
Zelenskiy’s peace plan has also been strongly criticised by war veterans and nationalists.
Various nationalist organisations even deployed their own troops to the front line in an effort to prevent a troop pullback in line with peace agreements.
Critics say the proposals favour Russia but Zelenskiy has pledged not to betray Ukraine’s interests.
Ties between Ukraine and Russia were shredded after a bloody uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014.
Moscow went on to annex Crimea and support insurgents in eastern Ukraine.