We had repeatedly refused to conduct the prisoner exchange under “72 for 19” formula at the meeting of the Humanitarian Subgroup. That is due to two main reasons. First, this proposal contradicts to paragraph 6 of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements and to the previously agreed exchange formula “all confirmed for all confirmed”. Second, Kiev authorities have not provided any reasonable explanation on why they have removed a number of persons, whom they had confirmed before, from the exchange list.
The Donetsk People’s Republic remains committed to the exchange formula “all confirmed for all confirmed”, particularly as the lists of detainees have long been prepared and agreed by the parties. However, the Ukrainian side has been ignoring this proposal for unjustified reasons for more than a year.
We call on Ukrainian representatives to cease politicizing the Minsk process and promptly carry out the elaborated mechanisms to release the detainees as soon as possible, which is eagerly awaited by people on both sides of the contact line.
