Putin for the first time announced negotiations with the heads of the DPR and LPR
Vladimir Putin announced for the first time that he would personally hold negotiations with the heads of the DPR and LPR. This happened during a visit to the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery. There, Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who is involved in the exchange of prisoners, asked for help.
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“Vladimir Vladimirovich, can I make a request regarding hundreds of people who are today on both sides of the contact line in conditions of imprisonment?
The situation is such that today it has been exactly 14 months since exchanges have taken place. You know that I have been working on the topic of exchange since 2014, and the reason for this situation is that, according to the Minsk agreements, exchanges should be carried out according to the “all for all” formula.
Ukraine today has difficulties in implementing this principle; they lie in the fact that, objectively, according to the current legislation, it is currently impossible to implement this principle in relation to all persons, and primarily in relation to those who are prosecuted for particularly serious crimes.
However, despite this, today a large number of people are ready to exchange. Ukraine today is ready to release 306 people, expects the release of 74 people in Donetsk and Lugansk, and this could be done before the New Year and Christmas holidays.
That is why I want to appeal to you, using your authority, to show humanism, to appeal to the heads of the unrecognized republics - Messrs. Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky - to carry out this exchange as the first stage of an “all for all” exchange and to release these individuals.
Thus, 380 people could return home to their loved ones and families. I think this would be a very serious step both in the implementation of the Minsk agreements and in matters of peace in Donbass. If possible, I would like to make this request to you.
I think that the Orthodox Church will support me in the person of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, who is constantly dealing with this issue, as, in fact, is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by Metropolitan Onuphry,” Medvedchuk said.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would really like to support this. We discussed all these topics, I know that you take the fate of people to heart. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry repeatedly turned to me with requests, and, as you know, some requests were granted, others were not. And therefore, the role of the Church in such conflicts primarily has, of course, a humanitarian dimension. The fate of people, people suffer, are victims of this difficult conflict, which really leads to the suffering of so many. Therefore, for my part, I would also like to ask you to support this idea and with joint efforts, perhaps everyone could carry out this wonderful action,” said the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
“I will do everything that depends on me, I will talk with the leadership of both the Donetsk Republic and the Lugansk Republic. I hope that what you propose will be implemented, and as quickly as possible,” Putin replied.
English version :: Read in English Putin announced for the first time negotiations with the heads of the DPR and LPR