MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey discussed prisoner swaps between Moscow and Kiev in a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin press service said in a statement.
"The parties continued to exchange views on the situation around Ukraine. In particular, the exchange of prisoners, primarily those wounded, was touched upon at Turkey’s initiative in light of a recent meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian human rights ombudspersons in Ankara," the statement reads.
According to the Kremlin press service, the Russian president drew his Turkish counterpart’s attention "to the destructive policy of the Kiev regime that relies on stepping up military activities with the support of its Western sponsors who are increasing supplies of weapons and equipment."
"Kiev’s move to reject a proposal for a Christmas ceasefire is another proof of its hypocritical policy," the statement added.
It was the second telephone conversation between Putin and Erdogan in 2023, with the first one taking place on January 5.