Ukraine conflict: Merkel, Macron and Putin welcome prisoner exchanges

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have released 76 people from their camps, and 127 people have been released in Ukraine: the prisoner exchange in the Ukraine conflict should be a step towards a solution. It was decided at the Ukraine summit a few weeks ago. The participants from back then, Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany, rated the exchange positively.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the prisoner exchange. Before the turn of the year and the Christmas celebrations of the Orthodox Christians in early January, this was "a long-awaited humanitarian gesture that should help to restore trust between the two sides," said deputy government spokeswoman Martina Fietz. The move must now be flanked by a full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire.

Merkel also phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin about the prisoner exchange. The Kremlin then also announced that both welcomed the action and rated it as "positive".

Further steps required to release all prisoners

Merkel and Macron emphasized that further work was needed to replace everyone detained in connection with the conflict. In this context, they recalled that it was essential to give international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), unrestricted and unconditional access to all detainees and to continue the search for missing persons.

The Ambassador of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Martin Sajdik , also welcomed the exchange. "This is an important step that has long been expected of both prisoners and their relatives and friends," he said in a statement. The appointment shortly before the turn of the year and the Orthodox Christmas has symbolic value.

"With all due regard for today's events, I urge all sides to continue to make every effort to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine by fully and fully implementing the Minsk Agreement," said Sajdik.

The recommendations of the Ukraine summit a few weeks ago, in which Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany had participated, should also be followed. Several steps had been decided there to solve the conflict: in addition to the prisoner exchange, there should be a partial withdrawal of troops and a full implementation of the ceasefire by the end of the year.