Zelenskyy on prisoner exchange: World should not persuade, but pressure Russia

Kateryna Tyshchenko - Monday,  23 May 2022, 23:24

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the most important humanitarian tasks for Ukraine are the exchange of prisoners, prevention of a world food crisis and assistance to Ukrainians forcibly deported to Russia and the territories it occupies.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a discussion held at the Ukrainian House, at the World Economic Forum in Davos

Quote: "There are several thousand people [Ukrainian citizens - ed.] in captivity after the siege of Mariupol, the siege of Azovstal. They have been relocated. In addition, there have been people from Donbass. They are held prisoner today… We must exchange them. We have also involved the UN and Switzerland, the experience of the Israelis, and many, many countries."

Details: Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that these countries "are trying to talk to Russia." According to him, the world should not persuade Russia, but "pressure [Russia] politically using any leverage - including powerful business, the closure of this business, an oil embargo, state sanctions and business sanctions."

According to the President, Ukraine is ready to exchange captured Russian soldiers for Ukrainians "as early as tomorrow".

He called the prevention of a world food crisis the second important humanitarian task.

"There will be a shortage of food due to the blockade of all ports in our country. Today 22 million tonnes of grain, sunflower, etc. are blocked. Blocked by the Russian Federation, which completely controls the Black and Azov coasts… All the business elite and the political elite must take steps to unblock this grain, so that it can be exported to countries in Africa and Asia, so that people have something to eat," Zelenskyy said.

"If such mediators fail to reach any political agreement with Russia, there will be famine, there will be a catastrophe, there will be a shortage, there will be high prices, and all this [grain and blocked assets] will rot in our state," he added.

The third important humanitarian issue, according to the President, is forced deportation.

"About 500,000 people have been forcibly deported to Russia or the occupied parts of Donbass: children separately from parents. There are many such cases. We have appealed to both the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN. They are searching for these people wherever they have access. This is a complicated story, we can't go online and find these people, their passports have been confiscated, their phones have been confiscated, etc. This is a global problem. Personally, I can't find a format for a solution to this issue. I would like to draw the attention of the international community to this issue," he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that deported Ukrainians should be returned home, and when it is not feasible, at least [Ukraine should -ed.] "receive information about where they are and whether they are alive."