Ukraine has accused Russia of deliberately slowing down the implementation of a major prisoner exchange agreement involving 1,000 prisoners from each side.
The accusation was made by Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, according to reports from UNIAN.
Lubinets stated that the Ukrainian side has already submitted the lists of prisoners designated for the exchange, while Moscow is allegedly dragging out the process.
“Contacts have not stopped, but the process has slowed down. Even if an agreement is reached with the Russians, you can never be 100% sure they will honor it,” he said.
The large-scale exchange was part of the agreement announced on May 8 by Donald Trump, aimed at reducing tensions and advancing humanitarian negotiations between the two countries amid the ongoing war.
According to Ukrainian officials, negotiations between the two sides continue on a daily basis and efforts to implement the agreement are ongoing. However, Kyiv remains skeptical about Russia’s willingness to fully comply with its commitments.
The planned exchange would represent one of the largest prisoner swaps since the start of the war, if successfully carried out.
