The following statement was released by the Ukrainian World Congress on December 29, 2019.
After the December 9 Normandy summit in Paris, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), together with millions of Ukrainians around the world, continues to follow the implementation of its key resolutions. The agreement as announced by President Zelenskyy to an “all for all” prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia was one of the most anticipated immediate steps. While the UWC welcomes the return of 76 Ukrainian political and military prisoners to their families, the global Ukrainian community shares the deep concern of Ukraine’s civil society about the actual cost of this exchange and its future implications.
These concerns relate to the exchange by Ukraine of suspects accused of torturing and killing peaceful protesters during Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity in 2014. This demand by Russia further demonstrates its direct involvement in the crimes committed against the 2014 peaceful demonstrations in Ukraine, which they continue to deny. This is another glaring example of the hybrid war Russia wages against Ukraine.