Prisoners exchange topped their agenda
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had two phone talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in June. The two Presidents discussed the exchange of the prisoners, captured in the occupied territories in the Donbas region.
Poroshenko told that in an interviewwith Bulgarian TV channel BTV during his visit to the country, according to Ukrinform.
"I can say that we had two phone calls last months, and they were fully dedicated to the release of the Ukrainian prisoners. Dozens of them have been arrested in Russia only because they have Ukrainian passport. Hundreds are kept in basements as hostages in the occupied territories", Poroshenko stressed.
At the same time Ukrainian President didn't clarify if any results had been achieved during the phone talks. He insisted, Russia must fully abide by the Minsk agreements and immediately release all prisoners.
According to Poroshenko's envoy on a peaceful settlement of the Donbas conflict, Iryna Gerashchenko, during the talks the President named specific prisoners he wanted freed.
"The President emphasized on the release of the ill hostages as well of those, who had been kept prisoner for a long time", she posted on Facebook.
Earlier Gerashchenko informed, the separatists refused to free Ukrainian hostages in exchange for the eight militants, captured near Mariupol.