President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that the Russians proposed exchanging their prisoners of war for the Ukrainian children they had abducted. According to him, such an idea is unacceptable.
The head of state made this statement in Vienna during a joint press conference with Federal President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, a Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“We don’t trade them (the children abducted by Russia – ed.) for anything. This is absolutely unjust. And frankly, it’s madness. The Russians actually proposed this: we give them soldiers, and they give us children. It’s simply beyond comprehension and beyond international law,” Zelensky said.
He emphasized that returning the children requires skilled diplomacy and “personal bilateral relations”.
“That’s why we involve so many countries, so many proactive people who, little by little, as much as each can, will bring home the thousands of children abducted by Russia — back to their families and loved ones,” the President added.
Zelensky also thanked the President and government of Austria for participating in the relevant initiatives.
As reported earlier, today in Vienna, in the presence of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, a Joint Communiqué on the Protection and Return of Ukrainian Children from the Russian Federation was signed.
Source: Ukraine rejects Russia’s offer to exchange their soldiers for abducted Ukrainian children
