Donetsk, May 30 – DAN. Kiev representatives in the Contact Group have not provided a positive answer to the Republics' proposition on the "all for all confirmed" prisoner exchange, said DPR envoy to the negotiations Denis Pushilin’s press secretary Viktoria Talakina.
"The Republics have not managed to receive a positive reply to their proposition to exchange all confirmed persons kept in Ukraine and in the Republics."
Talakina said the negotiations within the humanitarian group were being protracted by the absence of Kiev authorized representatives. Irina Geraschenko attended the talks only thrice, obstructing important discussions and signing of a declaration banning tortures against captives. She said that Ukraine always finds pretexts to avoid approving the text of the declaration binding sides to provide decent living conditions to captives, including accessible medical aid.
The DPR and the LPR have proposed a “157 for 20” detainees exchange to Kiev representatives at today’s meeting in Minsk on May 16. The latest swap took place on December 27, 2017 when DPR handed over 57 people to Ukraine, and 160 people came back to Donetsk. *ot