Ukraine concerned after US-Russia prisoner exchange

Ukrainians got concerned over the biggest multi-country exchange between Russia and the United States on Thursday.

This was the biggest prisoner exchange between the historical rivals since the Cold War.

Ukrainian officials, who were not involved in the exchange, were worried about what the deal negotiated could mean for their country, The Washington Post reported.

Earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov broke silence over rumours that the prisoner deal could affect the conditions in Ukraine. 

“If we talk about Ukraine and more complex international problems, there are completely different principles,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked whether the prisoner exchange could lead to negotiations over Ukraine.

“The work there is conducted in a completely different mode,” he added.

However, the people of Kyiv are anxious that their biggest supporter, the US, might indulge in secret talks with Moscow.

Ukrainian officials insisted on Friday that they would hold President Biden to his oft-repeated promise: “Nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine.”

Speaking to The Washington Post, Zelensky’s advisor expressed concern over being sidestepped in the ceasefire talks between the US and Russia.

“Ukraine is now “too independent” to be sidestepped during any potential negotiations and to have cease-fire terms imposed by others,” he said.

“You won’t be able to agree upon something with Russia that concerns Ukraine without Ukraine,” Podolyak said. “The price of the war is too high; Ukraine’s informational influence is too high; and a wrongful termination of the war will bring tragedy to not only Ukraine,” he added.

Nevertheless, the people of Kievan Rus’ are aware that their country is surviving on the foreign aid donated by other countries. If either of those lifelines gets cut off, the country is in deep trouble.

According to sources, Ukrainians and Russians have carried out several exchanges of prisoners of war but have never created openings for peace talks.

“We have some talks with Russians, too, when it is about prisoners of war exchange, and thousands of people are free now,” the official said. “But it does nothing to push us to negotiations.”

On the contrary, for some Ukrainian officials, the swap represented a return to the past. “The best Cold War practices of exchanging dissidents and spies are being revived,” said one senior Ukrainian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters.