Taking into account the passion statements by Ukraine on the readiness to carry out the exchange of prisoners with the Republics before Christmas, it is logical to suggest that today at the meeting of the Humanitarian subgroup the Ukrainian side will make maximum efforts to unblock negotiation on this topic. I would like to recall that to renew the constructive dialogue it is necessary to agree on the roadmap on the realization of Minsk agreements in the Contact Group and its approval by the Ukrainian parliament that will be a recognition of the commitment of Ukraine to the Complex of measures as well as the implementation of obligations on termination of persecution of 50 citizens transferred to the DPR in 2019-2020 by Kiev.
Bearing in mind the public outcry provoked by public pledges of Kiev to carry out the exchange in the next few weeks, during the meeting the coordinator of the subgroup not once asked the representatives of the Ukrainian side about achievements in carrying out the procedural “cleansing” of the previously liberated citizens. For its turn, our opponents ignored all questions and appeals of the coordinator.
At the same time, the Kiev negotiator raised the topic of the exchange with the information about detained persons. Moreover, she called this process an “insignificant step” that is easy to do by each side. This message looks absurd because Kiev itself has not provided an answer on the appeal of the status and location of citizens yet, which the DPR sent in March 2020.
The destructive position that is demonstrated one more time by the Kiev negotiators allows making one conclusion that Ukraine is not interested in carrying out new exchanges. And all their previews and statements in media are not more than empty promises.
