Ukraine in Talks With Rebels on Prisoner Exchange, RIA Says
Ukraines government is holding talks with pro-Russian separatists on a prisoner exchange, according to a rebel official cited by Russian news service RIA Novosti.
Ukrainian authorities are holding about 220 separatists, while the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic has about 30 prisoners, RIA cited Darya Morozova, the breakaway regions ombudsman for human rights, as saying. The next prisoner swap could take place in mid-January, Denis Pushilin, the separatist envoy to the talks, was quoted as saying by RIA.
Weve started to hold negotiations on the exchange of war prisoners, Morozova was quoted as saying. We dont know yet when the exchange will take place.
Ukraines government has held on-and-off negotiations with the rebels after the two sides traded more than 370 captives following negotiations on Dec. 24 in Minsk, Belarus. Envoys from Ukraine, Russia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the separatists have failed to make further progress, however, on entrenching the fragile cease-fire that has been in place since Dec. 9.
At least 23 insurgents were killed in fighting among rebel factions, according to Ukrainian intelligence, military spokesman Volodymyr Polevyi said in Kiev today. Three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded and none were killed, he said.
Russias markets have been roiled by the conflict, with sanctions imposed by the European Union and the U.S. combining with plunging oil prices to push its economy toward recession.
The sanctions were aimed at getting Russia back to the negotiating table, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel was cited by Bild am Sonntag newspaper as saying, and not to push Russia into economic and political chaos.
We want to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine but dont want to force Russia to its knees, Gabriel was quoted as saying. Those who want this are provoking a much more dangerous situation for all of us in Europe. After all, Russia is a nuclear power.
Gabriel said that while he would like Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend a G-8 meeting in Germany this year, he saw little probability of that happening.
Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France will also hold a meeting in Berlin tomorrow according to the Normandy format at the level of Foreign Ministry political directors, Interfax reported. The meeting will focus on implementing a peace agreement reached in Minsk in September, the Russian news service said, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.
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Ukraine in Talks With Rebels on Prisoner Exchange, RIA Says