Amnesty will not apply to all participants of the illegal armed groups operating in Donbas and does not imply avoidance of responsibility, but a decent future for people who are held hostage by the occupation forces and who are not involved in serious crimes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"The terrible word" amnesty "is not about everyone and not about avoiding responsibility. But about millions of our citizens, on whose hands there is no blood and who are now actually themselves held hostage by the invader. They need a clear signal - do not be afraid, a worthy future - only with Ukraine," Zelensky said in his annual message to the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday.