Exchange of prisoners in "all-for-all" format may take place after ceasefire - Zelenskyy
The exchange of prisoners of war in the "all-for-all" format can take place after the ceasefire. However, Russia does not always honestly fulfill the conditions during the exchanges.
This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with journalists on May 27, Censor.NET reports with reference to RBC-Ukraine.
The head of state noted that Russians do not want to give citizens of other countries for exchange. According to him, Moscow is doing this because it wants to influence relations between Russia and those countries.
"Sometimes they need pressure, sometimes they need to exchange for their special agents who are in prisons in other countries. That is why you will never hear that we are exchanging someone from Latin America, for example. Because they don't want to exchange any other citizens," the president said.
Zelenskyy also said that Russia does not want to exchange Belarusian citizens who fought for Ukraine or political prisoners. In his opinion, Russians do not want to recognize that Belarusians are on the side of Ukraine.
The president added that he had passed on lists of prisoners in Russia to his partners, including journalists, political prisoners, and foreigners. According to him, various countries from Latin America and the Middle East received such lists.
"You know, I had a conversation with several representatives of the Middle East. I won't say which country it is now. But I said that this is the tenth time I have told him about this. This is the 10th time I've told him about our Muslim citizens who are in Russian prisons. But no one has been handed over to me yet. I mean in general. So, all the Muslims we exchanged, even Muslims, were exchanged through us. Through Ukraine," he explained.
Zelenskyy hopes that the exchange of prisoners in the "all-for-all" format will be possible after the ceasefire.
"So it is very difficult to work with the Russians. Even during the exchange, they behave dishonestly. But we will try anyway. When we say "all for all", for example, the "all for all" model. And I hope that this will happen after the ceasefire. And "all for all" means returning all prisoners," the president added.
As reported, the third stage of the "1000 for 1000" exchange took place on May 25: Ukraine returned 303 defenders from Russian captivity.
On May 24, another 307 Ukrainian servicemen returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. This is the second stage of the 1000-for-1000 exchange.
The Coordination Center noted that 27 Mariupol defenders returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity.
On May 23, 390 Ukrainians were liberated: 270 soldiers and 120 civilians.
