The recent talks at the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group’s humanitarian subgroup on the settlement of the situation in Donbass related to the preparation of agreements on the exchange of detainees. Unfortunately, the fact is that Ukraine’s position is to sabotage all recommendations prescribed at the Normandy Four’s summit that took place in Paris on 9 December.

The destructive position of the Ukrainian delegation has thwarted the implementation of the recommendations elaborated at the Normandy Four’s meeting on the implementation of the prisoner exchange process by the end of 2019. Kiev’s failure to fulfil its commitments could result in the fact that the people will never be able to celebrate New Year holidays together with their families and friends.

Such steps by Kiev undermine Ukraine’s credibility as a state unable to fulfil the agreements. Once again, we call on the Ukrainian side to finally take the responsibility and start doing real work on the exchange process.