Russia breaks US-backed pledge, attempts to derail prisoner swap
Ukraine reacts to Russian claims about prisoner exchange (photo: facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Russia tries to complicate the prisoner swap process scheduled as part of a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine. However, this could constitute a violation of agreements with the United States, says a source in the Ukrainian government.
"They understand how important prisoner exchanges are for Ukrainians, so they always try to complicate them. But in this case, there was a conversation mediated by the United States," the source said.
Responsibility now also lies with the United States, which must be able to guarantee what was agreed upon, the source noted.
"Active negotiations on the exchange will obviously occur. And they break their promise not so much to us as to the United States," the source concluded.
Ukraine-Russia ceasefire, POW swap
Earlier, on May 8, US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire — from May 9 to May 11 — between Ukraine and Russia. He also announced a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange during this period.
Ukraine supported the proposal. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree allowing Russia to hold its May 9 parade, removing Red Square from the list of potential Ukrainian military targets. Russia also reportedly agreed to the US proposal.
However, on May 9, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that Ukraine is allegedly "not ready" for the prisoner exchange.
He also expressed readiness to meet with Zelenskyy outside Russia, but set conditions for such a meeting.
