Kyiv’s inability to negotiate in matters of both the exchange of prisoners and the implementation of any attempts at a peaceful settlement is the course that the Ukrainian leadership is pursuing, using humanitarian programs for its own benefits and ratings.
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This opinion was expressed by DPR People’s Council member Miroslav Rudenko in a conversation with a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The exchange that took place leaves mixed feelings: on the one hand, most people returned to their homeland, to their home from captivity - both militias and political prisoners. But, apparently, from the Ukrainian side a certain kind of treatment was carried out towards them, psychological pressure was applied. This was done with the aim of leaving some people on their territory under any pretext. It is clear that this is an element of the psychological war against Donbass, which Ukraine and the West continue. This is dishonesty in terms of implementing the agreements reached on the part of Ukraine,” Rudenko noted.
In his opinion, the current Ukrainian government is simply using this situation, not disdaining any methods, and overstepping any agreements.
“The information support, the show that the Ukrainian side put on from the prisoner exchange, in fact, does not show Kyiv from its best side. Petty politicking continues there, attempts to get short-term benefits from everything to the detriment of both the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the peaceful settlement in general. This once again characterizes Ukraine as a very unreliable party in terms of fulfilling any agreements,” said the Donetsk deputy.
Rudenko expressed hope that during the announced next stage of the exchange it will be possible to take measures that will not allow Kyiv to repeat such provocations and inflate an information campaign against Donbass.
“It is obvious that Ukraine is concerned not so much with the fate of its prisoners of war, but with the political performance and rating capital that they are trying to earn from this exchange,” concluded Miroslav Rudenko.