Savchenko reports agreement to exchange 'two-for-two' in Donbas
An agreement was reached to exchange two 'separatists' for two captured Ukrainian citizens, Nadiia Savchenko, Ukrainian parliamentarian of the Batkivschyna faction, said.
"There is now an agreement on exchanging two for two – it has to be done now. It has to be done by the president by his decree, not through courts and investigation – it will continue half a year, it will become redundant in half a year, those people will just die there," Savchenko told a rally demanding the prompt release from captivity of citizens of Ukraine held in central Kyiv on Monday.
It is not the only proposal, the parliamentarian said.
She said she has given Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko a letter from the relatives of the Ukrainian citizens held by the militants with a demand for their prompt release. "The letter was registered, I will be expecting a meeting with the president to give him the lists [of prisoners] and the [prisoners'] mothers will also be expecting a meeting with him," Savchenko told reporters.
The parliamentarian said she will meet with Poroshenko this week and that the president will meet with the prisoners' mothers and relatives this week.
"I believe the president can speak with the mothers [...] at least with five a week, so that he can see every mother, look into her eyes and understand that he has no right to do nothing or do something for so long," Savchenko said.
People are demanding that the president's report on the authorities' actions to release captured Ukrainian citizens, Savchenko said, adding she would continue "fighting for our guys."
From four to seven people are now working on the release of prisoners as volunteers and "the exact number of the prisoners held by the militants or the separatists detained by the Ukrainian special services is unknown," she said.
"How many prisoners? The official lists state 114 or 107 confirmed [persons]. In actuality, no one can know how many of them are there because there are many dead and missing people. The SBU is not saying how many separatists we have, either," Savchenko said.
