The Ukrainian side disrupts the exchange
A videoconference with the Ukrainian side has just finished. Unfortunately, I cannot but conclude that the representatives of Ukraine deliberately hinder all agreements achieved at the highest level. Moreover, Kiev negotiators started to compile new lists and divide people into groups.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any constructive solution or set the exchange date. The Ukrainian side ignored a proposition of the OSCE Coordinator to hold the exchange on December 27 of this year. Moreover, they demanded Donetsk to provide the list of 207 persons and Lugansk to provide the list of 99 persons so as to duplicate the list of 306 persons, whom they propose to hand over. The Ukrainian side has not submitted any written position on the exchange date, as well as on the status of detained persons. I want to remind you once again that the Republic has long been ready for the exchange, the lists remain the same, and none of the names have been changed.
On December 20 a Meeting of the Contact Group takes place in Minsk, where the issue of the exchange will be discussed. For my part I hope that the exchange date will be announced in the nearest future. We have repeatedly asked Ukraine to submit its official written position on 306 persons that they propose to exchange, but the Ukrainian side refused to do so. Moreover, they began to look for various excuses and asked us to send the list of 74 persons whom we are going to release. Of course, we will do so today, although we haven’t received any confirmation that the corresponding list would be sent to us in response. I’d like to note that 150 cases are under judicial review, according to a Ukrainian negotiator.
At the moment it is very difficult for us to expect that the exchange will be performed soon. Unfortunately, Mr. Medvedchuk was absent at the meeting again. For my part, I said that we could not be any closer to the exchange without the presence of Mr. Medvedchuk and without a written position on the list of 306.
