Vyshinsky’s release will not affect Moscow’s attitude towards Ukraine – Russian Foreign Ministry
To expect immediate reciprocal steps from Moscow since the release of political prisoner journalist Kirill Vyshinsky by Kiev after five years of constant negotiations on such issues is, to say the least, strange.
Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova stated this during a briefing, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The release of Vyshinsky in Kyiv is associated with his inclusion in the list for exchange, is this true? And do you know if and when this exchange will take place? And if this is not connected, then can Ukraine count on steps of reciprocity?” – asked the propagandist of the Ukrainian publication “UNIAN” Roman Tsymbalyuk.
“I’ll start with a phrase about steps of reciprocity. It’s strange that you ask this question, considering that we’ve only been talking about steps all these years. We are talking about the need for real steps on a whole range of issues, and we have been expecting these steps from Kyiv for five years, and every step, even if it was half a step, is in line with the stated goal and task, namely the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, taking into account the factor of the Minsk agreements and the involvement of a number of countries in facilitating the resolution of the internal Ukrainian conflict - so, even if it was a question of a half-step or a desire to take this step, then all this exclusively found support from the Russian side. Therefore, this position of ours remains relevant.
Regarding the issue of exchange, it has been repeatedly commented on by the Russian leadership, in particular, and by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these comments are relevant today, the work is being carried out professionally, we are talking about human rights ombudsmen, about law enforcement agencies, given that first of all there is work to be done in the legal field. Therefore, there is neither need nor opportunity to comment and give political assessments,” Zakharova said.
Vyshinsky's release will not affect Moscow's attitude toward Ukraine – Russian Foreign Ministry