President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated that at a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron he had discussed the issue of Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russia and in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and also announced a new initiative to free Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko convicted in Russia.

"With President of France Emmanuel Macron, I separately raised the question of our journalist Mr. Sushchenko. You know that he worked in Paris, that the first lady of France worried about his fate. Emmanuel clearly stated that in the near future we will again initiate that Russian President Vladimir Putin keep his word, free Sushchenko," Poroshenko said on the air of the Inter TV Channel via a video call from Paris after a meeting with Macron.

In addition, he said that at the meeting they separately raised the issue of the release of 24 Ukrainian sailors who are prisoners of war in the Russian Federation.