Ukraine, Russia set prisoner-swap deal

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s president on Friday outlined the details of an impending prisoner swap with Russia, saying that Kiev is willing to release a jailed Russian journalist in exchange for a Ukrainian film director.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s statement comes at the end of a week of shuttle diplomacy, with the Russian and Ukrainian human-rights ombudsmen holding talks both in Moscow and in Kiev. The flurry of activity around imprisoned Russians and Ukrainians follows last week’s first telephone call between Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Ukrainian government has been fighting with Russia-backed separatists in the country’s east since 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Dozens of Ukrainians have been put on trial by Russian authorities and convicted in what have largely been perceived as politically-motivated cases.

In addition, dozens of Russian citizens and separatist supporters are in Ukrainian custody, facing charges of treason and inciting separatism.

Political novice and former comedian Zelenskiy, who was elected in April, has said the release of Ukrainians in Russian custody is one of the most urgent priorities of his presidency.

Zelenskiy said in televised comments Friday that Ukraine could release journalist Kirill Vyshinskiy, who has been in jail for a year on treason charges, if Russia releases film director Oleg Sentsov from a Russian prison colony. Sentsov is serving 20 years in a Russian prison on charges of plotting acts of terrorism.