Viewers Corner News correspondent in Kiev reported that Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners in a move to improve ties and ease tensions between the two nations. According to the report, after lengthy negotiations, the two countries released 35 prisoners each and on Saturday, 7 September 2019, Russian and Ukrainian prisoners landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo and Kiev’s Boryspil airports respectively. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine hailed the exchange, said it is the first step towards ending the war in eastern Ukraine and returning territory annexed by Russia. President Vladimir Putin of Russia said the move is a good step towards the normalisation of relations. Angela Merkel (German Chancellor) also hailed the prisoners exchange, said it is a sign of hope. She also advised the two countries to implement the 2015 ceasefire contract (Minsk accord) that France and Germany helped broker. On the Ukraine side, those prisoners freed by Russia includes 24 Ukrainian sailors who Russia captured in the Sea of Azov in November 2018 and Oleg Sentsov (Ukrainian filmmaker) convicted of planning terrorist acts. After controversial referendum which made Russia to annex Crimea in 2014, the two nations’ relationship was soured. About 13,000 people lost their lives in a fight between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian soldiers.
Source: Viewers Corner News.