Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed an “all for all” prisoner swap with Russia during his virtual address to the G20 leaders in Bali on Tuesday, according to a transcript of his remarks shared by the Embassy of Ukraine in Indonesia.
“Thousands of our people — military and civilians — are in Russian captivity. They are subjected to brutal torture — this is mass abuse… we know by name 11,000 children who were forcibly deported to Russia,” Zelensky said.
“Add to that hundreds of thousands of deported adults, and you will see what a humanitarian catastrophe the Russian war has caused. Add political prisoners — Ukrainian citizens who are held in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territory, in particular in Crimea. We must release all these people … we must unite for the sake of the only realistic model of the release of prisoners — “all for all.”
Ukraine’s peace plan: The prisoner swap proposal is one of 10 areas outlined by Zelensky during his speech Tuesday on a path to end the war. They are:
- Radiation and nuclear safety
- Food security
- Energy security
- Release of prisoners and deportees
- Implementation of the UN Charter
- Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities
- Justice
- Ecocide and the protection of the environment
- Prevention of escalation
- Confirmation of the end of the war
