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Zelensky thanks Normandy Four leaders after prisoner exchange in Donbass

On December 29, Kiev and Donbass exchanged prisoners near the Gorlovka — Mayorskoye checkpoint

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky Pyotr Sivkov/TASS

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

© Pyotr Sivkov/TASS

KIEV, December 29. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has thanked the leaders of the other three Normandy Four countries (Russia, Germany, France) after a plane carrying prisoners handed over by Donbass arrived in Kiev.

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Donbass prisoner exchange real result of Normandy Four summit — Ukrainian minister

"I want to thank all Normandy Four leaders," Zelensky said on Sunday at the Borispol international airport in Kiev during a briefing broadcast by Ukrainian TV channels. "Everything that we had agreed upon, has been implemented," he added.

The Ukrainian president reminded that prisoner exchange between Kiev and Donbass represented the first part of agreements reached at the Normandy Four summit in Paris on December 9. He said that Donbass freed 81 people, including 76 who returned to Kiev and five others who decided to stay in Donbass.

Zelensky added that this was only the first stage of prisoner exchange, and other stages will follow later. "Many our people are held on the Russian territory, in Crimea. This is a different issue, but we are already working on it," he stressed.

On December 29, Kiev and Donbass exchanged prisoners near the Gorlovka — Mayorskoye checkpoint. According to preliminary reports, Kiev handed over 124 people to Donbass, while Donbass handed over 76 people to Kiev.

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