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Ukrainian top diplomat describes current relations with Moscow as ‘thaw’

According to the foreign minister, Ukraine was planning to bring back all of its citizens currently in detention in Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko

© AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

KIEV, September 13. /TASS/. Russia and Ukraine are having a period of ‘thaw’ in their bilateral relations, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko said on Friday.

"We are now looking for compromises, for ways to restore peace," he said in an Inter TV channel broadcast. "There is a certain kind of thaw at the moment. And [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky is trying to make use of this."

At the same time, Ukraine’s top diplomat added that Zelensky "has no plans to wait for the next five years and watch Ukrainian servicemen losing their lives."

"We understand that we can sort out all this mess only when the Ukrainian order returns to our lands," he said.

According to the foreign minister, Ukraine was planning to bring back all of its citizens currently in detention in Russia.

"The negotiations [for the recent "35 for 35" exchange of detainees] took only a few months, and now we are working to have everyone released under the "all for all" formula. This means that we are familiar with the lists and have agreed to them. We plan to have all our guys returned soon," Pristayko said.

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FSB declassifies documents about Nazi Germany’s crimes in Crimea

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