First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko says the release of Ukrainian hostages illegally held by Russia will be discussed at a meeting of the Working Group in Minsk, Belarus, on April 4.
"The Ukrainian side is doing everything to ensure the next wave of hostage swap is carried out as soon as possible," she told a briefing on Monday, an UNIAN correspondent reports.
According to Gerashchenko, it is crucially important for Ukraine to get the "Kremlin prisoners" released.
Read alsoSushchenko's lawyer calls on Putin to facilitate swap"The Ukrainian side is ready to hand over 20 Russians who are being held in Ukrainian prisons for violating Ukrainian legislation and participating in the war in order to release Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, and other prisoners," Gerashchenko said.
According to her, today Russia is showing no will to resolve this issue, therefore Ukraine counts on the support of international partners.
Gerashchenko also recalled that Ukraine had supported the UK in the case of the ex-spy poisoning in the British Salisbury, having joined an international response to expel Russian diplomats.
According to the official, the Minsk group will also discuss violations of the "Easter truce." She noted that this will be one of the key issues to be discussed at the meeting of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, scheduled for the next week.
Read alsoUkraine's Gerashchenko on Normandy Four statement: Putin never publicly supported Donbas ceasefireIn addition, Gerashchenko stressed that it is unacceptable for militants to shoot down OSCE SMM's UAVs. She noted that "this is already a 13th [ceasefire] agreement throughout the years of war, but the truce has never been observed by the Russian Federation and militants."
At the same time, she recalled that all Normandy Four leaders (Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia) had supported the "Easter truce" this time.