ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US thanked Turkey on Thursday for its contribution to the exchange of nearly 300 prisoners, including foreigners, between Russia and Ukraine in the largest prisoner swap since the start of the war.
"I would like to thank the Turkish government for helping facilitate the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia, building on their leadership on the grain deal," US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his role in securing the prisoner swap that saw the release of 215 Ukrainians, including five commanders of the Azov battalion. Zelenskyy added that the commanders will remain in Turkey until the end of the war to ensure their safety.
Most of the Ukrainians taken as prisoners had been captured after the fall of Mariupol, a city in southeastern Ukraine on the port of Azov which suffered intense Russian bombardment. The resistance put up by those in the Azovstal steel plant became a symbol of Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
According to the Ukrainian president, among those released were 10 foreigners who included citizens of the UK, US, Morocco, Sweden, and Croatia. The foreign nationals will be sent home with the mediation of Saudi Arabia.
A statement from Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed that the 10 foreigners had been flown to the Kingdom, adding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had mediated between Ukraine and Russia.
In exchange, Ukraine freed 55 Russians, including pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk who had been arrested for treason in April.
The timing of the prisoner swap sparked confusion as it came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization on Wednesday, ordering reservists to fight. AFP reported that over 1,300 people were arrested in protests that followed in Russia, while flights out of the country were nearly fully booked.
Erdogan had announced the prisoner exchange on Monday during an interview from New York where he was present for the 77th UN General Assembly.
"At this point, for example, an agreement has been reached on the exchange of 200 hostages. This is a good development. Because with these hostages, a very important step has been taken there,” he said at the time.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine in July, allowing for the resumption of exporting Ukrainian grains and other foodstuffs for the first time since the start of the war.
Following the signing of the deal, the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) was launched in Istanbul with the purpose of monitoring the shipments through the Black Sea and facilitating the implementation of the agreement.
Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine in February, leading to a global incline in food, oil, and petrol prices as exports from the neighboring countries diminished due to the war.
By Klawdia Martani
