Serbian president welcomes Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange agreement

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on May 16 welcomed the recent prisoner exchange agreement between Russia and Ukraine, calling it a positive development that could pave the way for further dialogue between the two sides.

"I saw the results of the talks in Istanbul. It is good news that an agreement was reached on the exchange of prisoners of war—1,000 Russians and 1,000 Ukrainians will return home. This is the largest exchange so far. That's good news, so they've started talking. It means that it will come to some other results," Vucic said, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

However, he expressed scepticism that the war in Ukraine would end in the near future, noting that Russia is aware of its advantage on the battlefield and wants to maximise its position "on the ground" for further negotiations. 

The Serbian leader also emphasised that he is expressing his opinion on the war in Ukraine “more as an analyst than as the president of the republic.”

The talks that took place in Istanbul lasted almost two hours. Russian Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who lead the Russian delegation, announced a large-scale 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange with Ukraine. According to him, Moscow and Kyiv have agreed to present their vision of a possible future ceasefire.

During the negotiations, the Ukrainian side requested a meeting of the heads of state, and the Russian Federation took note of this.  Medinsky also stated Russia's readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine.

However, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi has said that Ukraine firmly rejected a series of proposals presented by the Russian delegation, labelling them as "unacceptable".  

By Sabina Mammadli