CNN
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A serious prisoner trade between Russia and Ukraine is now beneath means, in accordance with a Ukrainian supply accustomed to the matter.
The swap began on Friday, with Kyiv and Moscow swapping a whole bunch of prisoners.
As with earlier exchanges, Ukrainian and Russian authorities weren’t anticipated to publicly state that it was happening till after it had been accomplished. Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump broke that conference on Friday, asserting the swap on social media because it was unfolding.
The settlement to launch 1,000 prisoners on either side was the one important consequence of the assembly between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul final week, which marked the primary time the 2 sides have met instantly since quickly after Russia’s full-scale unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Istanbul assembly was initially proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to a ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum given to Moscow by Kyiv’s European allies – which many noticed as a transparent try by the Kremlin chief to distract and delay.
However whereas the return of a whole bunch of Ukrainian detainees will come as an enormous aid to their households and family members, it stays considerably underwhelming as the one tangible consequence of the extremely touted assembly.
Prisoner swaps have been occurring usually, most just lately earlier this month.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Therapy of Prisoners of Warfare, a authorities division, mentioned the trade on Might 7, which noticed greater than 200 Ukrainian service members return residence, was the fifth swap this yr and the sixty fourth for the reason that starting of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The division mentioned on the time that at 4,757 Ukrainian residents have been launched since March 2022.
Ukraine and its allies demanded that Russia comply with an instantaneous and unconditional ceasefire in Istanbul, however that didn’t occur.
Kyiv additionally supplied direct talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
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