Real progress for Russia-Ukraine relations will only come when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat down with Donbass leaders - security and international analyst Mark sleboda told Sputnik.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 35 prisoners between each side on September 8. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the exchange of prisoners is of great importance for the normalization and bilateral relations with Russia, after the conflict in Donbass, eastern Ukraine.
"This is not the first time there has been an exchange of prisoners. There was such a case in 2017," said sleboda.
"But it can be said that most of the prisoners released from Kiev to Moscow are not actually Russian. They are not Russian citizens, they are Ukrainian citizens, mainly eastern Ukraine, and this reflects the nature of a civil conflict in Ukraine that the West and Russia have participated in on both sides," Mr. sleboda explained.
Efforts to stabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine have been implemented by the Four Ministries of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany. In particular, the Four Ministries Group mediated the signing of the Minsk Peace Agreement in September 2015 between representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the two self-proclaimed regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, agreeing to end the war in the Donbass region.
The agreements stipulate the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the region, the Ukrainian authorities will give special status to specific regions of Donbass and conduct negotiations between the parties on holding elections in the territories.
However, sleboda told Sputnik that the exchange of prisoners was only the first step to continue implementing the Minsk Agreement, and the next step was " prides Volodymyr Zelensky must speak with the leaders of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions".
"On the Ukrainian side, whether former President Petro Poroshenko or Zelensky, have basically said that they do not intend to implement the Minsk Agreement. But that is still the framework that most Western leaders such as France, Germany, even the US and Russia agree with," Mr. sleboda explained.
"As long as President Zelensky has not really agreed to sit down and talk to them to resolve political differences in Ukraine, towards reconciliation, then the Minsk Agreement cannot be implemented and there cannot be peace in Ukraine" - expert sleboda analyzed.
Meanwhile, according to Sputnik, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia and Ukraine exchanging prisoners is a decisive step to resume a constructive dialogue between the two countries.
"I welcome the return of prisoners by Russia and Ukraine. This is a decisive step to resume a constructive dialogue, which will continue in the coming weeks," President Emmanuel Macron said on September 7, adding that "France and Germany will increase efforts within the framework of the Normandy Decade to make further progress and implement the political aspects of the Minsk Agreement".
