LUHANSK. Jan 30 (Interfax) - Rodion Miroshnik, a representative of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) in the political subgroup of the Contact Group on Donbas, has commented on the statement by Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak on the readiness of the lists for prisoner exchange with the LPR and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
"Mr. Yermak [...] said Kyiv had passed on the list for exchange in the Contact Group [meeting] in Minsk yesterday. That means it's time to make an exchange. Yermak modestly failed to mention that even following the recent December exchange Ukraine had not fulfilled its obligations," Miroshnik wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday.
The people handed over to the LPR and the DPR from Ukraine in the December 29 prisoner swap "remain under investigation and their cases have not been closed," he said. "It's quite logical that they will put them on the wanted list again soon and will pretend that Kyiv didn't assume any other obligations on them," Miroshnik said.
"So Mr. Yermak can well now focus on the 'procedural clearance' of both past and future exchanged persons. Adjust the legislation, draft decrees, and then remember that they have passed on the lists [for prisoner exchange] to someone," he said.
Yermak said earlier that Ukraine had prepared lists for a new prisoner exchange with Russia and certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"The exchange track addressed in the phone conversation between Zelensky and Putin on December 31, is under consideration. The lists have been prepared for exchange with the Russian Federation and certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," Yermak told reporters on Thursday.
The list for prisoner exchange with certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions was handed over by Ukraine in a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on January 29, he said.
"Work is currently being done on these two tracks, and no one is slowing down work on an exchange to return all of our people as soon as possible. We're continuing this work every day," Yermak said.