Russia Accuses Ukraine Of Continuing To Boterate Prisoner Swap And Refuses To Repatriate Hundreds Of Its Citizens

JAKARTA - Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said the Kyiv government sabotaged the prisoner swap process and refused to accept 630 Ukrainian nationals.

"The Kyiv regime continues to sabotage the process of exchanging prisoners in any way possible, doing everything it can to get away from concrete work that has paid off to endless international political performances, considering the delay as a medium tool to promote its interests," Zakharova accused. in a post on the Telegram channel, reported TASS December 3.

"Okay. The problem is they don't take back their own people. (Volodymyr) Zelensky doesn't need 630 Ukrainian citizens who have been arrested. He has handed them over," he stressed.

Zakharova recalled earlier this year Russia's Ministry of Defense had sent a proposal to Ukraine for the transfer of 935 Ukrainian war prisoners as part of the exchange. "At the same time, the Kyiv regime rejected the return of more than 600 Ukrainian soldiers for no reason whatsoever," the diplomat said.

"To this day, the list includes 630 Ukrainian prisoners of war, who are ready to be immediately transferred by Russia to Kyiv on the same conditions," he stressed.

"Therefore, when you hear that Russia allegedly does not want to make an exchange and does not want to leave its people to Ukraine - this is a lie. There are numbers and facts," concluded Zakharova.