Zelenskyy reveals why Russia is stalling prisoner exchange process
Currently, the prisoner exchange process between Ukraine and Russia has effectively stopped due to the position of the Russian side, the head of state said while speaking with journalists on December 11.
According to him, Russia has begun deliberately delaying the agreements, demanding broader political agreements.
Specifically, during a recent meeting between National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Russian representatives, the parties agreed to prepare for a large-scale exchange before the New Year. They also agreed to work on and finalize the lists of detainees.
"The parties agreed that there would be a rather large exchange before the New Year and that the lists must be discussed. But currently, the delay is coming from the Russian side," Zelenskyy said.
Prisoner exchange
On Saturday, November 15, Umerov announced that Ukraine and Russia would resume prisoner exchanges. Currently, it is expected that Kyiv will manage to free 1,200 Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
According to him, after consultations in Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates regarding the resumption of exchanges, the parties agreed to activate the Istanbul agreements.
The last prisoner exchange took place in early October, when 185 Ukrainian defenders returned home. Among them were National Guard members who defended the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The youngest released defender was 26 years old, and the oldest was 59.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War also reported that it is currently working in two directions: exchanges based on the Istanbul agreements and so-called "numbered exchanges."
