Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed the release of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children to their homeland on the eve of talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia about a possible peace deal between his country and Russia.
This “could become a key step in building trust in diplomatic efforts,” Zelensky wrote on X after a meeting with the Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler of the country, Mohammed bin Salman.
“A significant part of the discussion was dedicated to the formats of security guarantees,” Zelensky added.
The Ukrainian government accuses Russia of having abducted thousands of children since Moscow started its all-out war against Ukraine in February 2022.
Two years ago, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for allegedly abducting Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine to Russia. Moscow refers to the incidents as evacuations.
Communication on the exchange of prisoners is practically the only channel of dialogue still functioning between Kiev and Moscow.
The warring parties have already exchanged thousands of prisoners in several operations. It is unclear how many prisoners there are still on either side.
