Ukraine doing everything to ensure June summits 'not hollow': Zelenskyy

Business Standard

6 hours ago

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "language of force" against Russia must become the working one across all formats of international engagement in the coming months, referring to the upcoming G7 Summit (from June 15 to 17) in Canada and the Nato Summit in the Netherlands running from June 24-26.
"In the coming weeks, important meetings and negotiations will take place in Ukraine, and we are doing everything to ensure that the June summits--the G7 Summit in Canada and the Nato Summit in the Netherlands--are not hollow," he said.
"Russia only truly understands one language -- the language of force. That is precisely the language that must become the working one across all formats of international engagement in the coming months," he added.
Further, he said that Ukraine is working to secure the release of its prisoners of war and the return of fallen warriors. However, Russia has not provided full lists for exchanging over 1,000 people as agreed upon in Istanbul.
"Ukraine continues to do everything possible to secure the release of our POWs and the return of our fallen warriors. The full lists from Russia for the exchange of over one thousand people, as agreed in Istanbul, have still not been provided," he said.
Zelenskyy criticised Russia for turning prisoner exchange negotiations into a "dirty political and information game".
"In typical fashion, the Russian side is once again trying to turn even these matters into a dirty political and information game. For our part, we are doing everything we can to keep the exchange track moving forward," he said.
Recently, a planned exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine did not happen on Saturday due to disagreements between the two sides, CNN reported.
Russia claimed that Ukraine postponed the exchange at the last minute, while Ukraine denied this, saying that a date for the exchange of prisoners and bodies of dead soldiers had not been finalised.
Ukraine described Russia's claims about the failed exchange as "dirty games."
According to Russia, over 1,200 frozen Ukrainian bodies were left waiting in refrigerated trucks at an exchange point.
However, Ukraine stated that the two sides had agreed to exchange seriously wounded and young troops, but a specific date had not been set for the repatriation of soldiers' bodies, as per CNN.
Despite the failed exchange, Russia and Ukraine agreed to hold another prisoner swap this weekend during peace talks in Istanbul.
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