Russia is working on an exchange of prisoners with Ukraine after the trial of Ukrainian detainees, Russian news agencies reported yesterday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. The exchange is premature.
Last week, the last Ukrainian defenders of the strategic city of Mariupol surrendered after hiding for weeks at the Azovstal metallurgical plant.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, about 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers were captured in this port city.
For his part, Russian MP and negotiator Leonid Slutsky said his country was “considering” the possibility of exchanging prisoners of war of this Ukrainian battalion for Viktor Medvichuk, a Ukrainian politician and businessman known for his closeness to President Vladimir Putin, who was arrested in mid-April in Ukraine .
Rudenko specified yesterday that a possible exchange was not being considered, and said: “No, we are not considering it, we do not have this information in the Foreign Ministry.”
On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday denounced the lack of “unity” among Western countries more than three months after the start of the Russian invasion of his country.
“My question is: is there practical unity (in the West)?” the Ukrainian president said during a video interview at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland. I don’t touch him,” he said, emphasizing that he “needs the support of a united Europe.”
“Is there unity on the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO?” Zelensky added at a breakfast hosted by Ukraine. No, does that mean the West is united? both”.
He continued: “Our strength was unity within the country, and now it depends on the unity of the West to be strong and strongly support Ukraine” against Russia. “We will have an advantage over Russia when we really unite,” he said.
In addition, residents of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions will be able to obtain a Russian passport in a “simplified” manner, according to a Kremlin decree published yesterday.
The Kherson region in southern Ukraine is under the complete control of Russian forces, while Moscow partially controls the Zaporozhye region, located in the southeast. New authorities appointed from Moscow in two regions expressed their desire to join Russia.
From an economic standpoint, Russia announced yesterday that it would start paying off its external debt in rubles after the United States suspended an exception allowing Moscow to make payments in dollars.
“Since the refusal to renew this license makes it impossible to continue servicing the government’s external debt in US dollars, payments will be made in Russian currency with the possibility of its subsequent conversion into the base currency,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement. The Telegram statement confirms its intention to continue paying all of its financial obligations.”
The waiver has been in place since Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and it allowed Moscow to avoid a default.
Minister of Foreign Affairs met with his Ukrainian counterpart
Yesterday, His Highness Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of His Highness’ participation in the World Economic Forum Davos 2022.
During the meeting, they discussed the evolution of the crisis in Ukraine, emphasizing the Kingdom’s support for everything that contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians and the serious pursuit of negotiated political solutions, as well as all international efforts towards a political solution to the crisis.