Ukraine and Russia argue over prisoners of war
Published: Sunday, Nov 3rd 2024, 12:00
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Ukraine has rejected claims by the Russian Foreign Ministry that it did not want hundreds of prisoners of war proposed for exchange back. "We are ready to carry out an exchange of prisoners of war at any time! We adhere to the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law!" said Dmytro Lubinez, the Ukrainian human rights commissioner responsible, on Telegram. "As a rule, these processes are slowed down by the Russian Federation. And it uses this as a method to influence Ukrainian society!"
Previously, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had explained in a hastily convened video call with correspondents from several countries on Saturday afternoon that Russia had recently proposed 935 Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange. However, Kiev only wanted 279 prisoners from the list back, including, according to the Russians, mainly ultra-nationalist fighters. Zakharova claimed that the remaining 650-plus men had not been deemed "worthy" by Kiev or had even been labeled traitors.
Kiev demands list of prisoners from Moscow
Zakharova accused Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha of "political tourism" because he repeatedly used the issue of prisoners of war as an opportunity to travel abroad in order to create an atmosphere against Moscow. She emphasized that Russia had always implemented prisoner exchanges with the mediation of other states and was still prepared to do so.
This is basically the last format in which Moscow and Kiev have had contact to date. In Kiev, Commissioner Lubinez called on Moscow to make the lists of prisoners available.
In the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than two and a half years, thousands of families are waiting for their relatives to return from captivity. Both warring parties have already exchanged prisoners in several campaigns - thousands in total so far. It is unclear how many prisoners both sides currently have.
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