Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Sunday that Ukraine will continue to push for a prisoner exchange with Russia, emphasizing that Moscow’s failure to adhere to humanitarian agreements will impact various diplomatic and peace efforts, including those involving the United States. Previously, both Ukraine and Russia had exchanged accusations of violations during the handover of bodies and prisoners.
This statement comes after Russian officials accused Ukraine of indefinitely delaying the latest round of prisoner exchange, a claim that has been refuted by a Ukrainian official.
According to Russian claims, under the agreement reached in Istanbul, Turkey, Russia has transported 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to the “exchange zone,” marking the return of the first batch out of 6,000 bodies agreed upon for exchange.
Moscow has also provided Kyiv with a list containing the names of 640 prisoners slated for the first phase of exchange, yet Kyiv has not confirmed attendance nor set a date for the exchange.
In response, the Ukrainian Prisoner of War Coordination Headquarters quickly rebuffed the Russian actions as “inconsistent with the facts” and not in line with the earlier agreements. They emphasized that no specific exchange time had been agreed upon and criticized the unilateral actions of the Russian side as being procedurally irregular.
Earlier this month, Russian and Ukrainian negotiation teams agreed to exchange all wounded soldiers and prisoners below the age of 25, along with the bodies of a total of 12,000 fallen soldiers. This was the only specific outcome of the talks as Russia has repeatedly refused Ukraine’s demand for an immediate ceasefire.
Ukraine stressed that they have submitted a list of prisoners that meet the priority criteria for exchange to Russia, while accusing the Russian-provided list of not meeting the agreed terms but rather playing “dirty tricks.”
In his evening video address, Zelenskiy reiterated that Ukraine has yet to receive a complete list of prisoners eligible for release, condemning Russia for playing “dirty political and information warfare tricks” as usual.
He emphasized the primary goal of ensuring the safe return of individuals, stating, “We believe the exchange operation will continue, and we will spare no effort in this regard.”
Furthermore, Zelenskiy warned that if Russia fails to adhere to humanitarian issues, it will cast doubt on international efforts, including the United States’ negotiation and diplomatic actions.
In conclusion, Zelenskiy reminded the public to remain vigilant amid escalating Russian air raids. “In the coming days, we must be alert to air raid warnings. Please take care of yourselves and take care of Ukraine,” he said.