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Putin keeps in touch with Ukraine's envoy over prisoner exchange issue

The Kremlin spokesman refrained from describing Ukraine’s special representative for humanitarian issue as a "liaison" between the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

YALTA, November 23. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin keeps in touch with Ukraine’s special representative for humanitarian issues Viktor Medvedchuk, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Friday. At the same time he refrained from describing Medvedchuk as a "liaison" between the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko, adding he did not know if there was a need for that.

"Such meetings do take place, but I do not know how often," Peskov said, adding he was not familiar with the details of the agenda.

"I do know, though, that in this particular case Medvedchuk performs the functions of the head of the humanitarian issues group," Peskov said. "His efforts contributed to sporadic exchanges of prisoners and he exerts great efforts for the sake of achieving an ‘all-for-all’ exchange of prisoners."

Peskov stated with regret that "for now it does not work and obstacles in the way are many, but he keeps working along these lines."

Asked if there was a possibility Medvedchuk might serve as a liaison between Putin and Poroshenko, Peskov said he had no idea whether there was a need for that at this stage.

"I have no idea if there is a need for such a link. As far as the Ukrainian president is concerned, Putin spoke in great detail at the news conference in Singapore in response to a related question.

Tags

Vladimir Putin Pyotr Poroshenko Dmitry Peskov

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