Reports from rebel negotiators at the Ukraine peace conference in Minsk say that the two sides have agreed to a prisoner exchange, with 150 Ukrainian soldiers being released in return for 225 rebels held by the military.
Eastern Ukrainian rebels confirmed the deal, though they did not offer any specifics on when the exchange would take place. The Ukrainian government has yet to comment.
The Minsk conference is aimed at moving forward on peace being the ceasefire, which continues to hold. The two goals of the talks were the prisoner exchange and a deal on advancing toward a final settlement of the eastern civil war.
People familiar with the talks say that the goal of a final settlement continues, and that there will be more negotiations in the coming days. A major focus of the talks has been the two sides both moving heavy weaponry out of disputed territory.
Rebels without a cause? — I don’t think so
The new Republic of Eastern Ukraine is the only government involved in this civil war that has not sold It’s soul to the corporate rich, for Empire USA, Russia, Ukraine and all the NATO nations, all ruled by politics under the absolute control of multinational corporate capitalism. So, may the new Republic keep it’s independence and autonomy, most of all may it be a catalyst to unite all of us ragtag rabble rousers into a fighting mad Revolution, that’s what I always say.
Regardless of appearances the endgame is to take the Ukraine into the Nato fold. Always has been and was obviously the reason why Russia couldn't let the Crimea go. Otherwise, the fighting in the east is nothing more than an attempt to cause Russia to need to react to protect the Russian speaking people. Anybody have a problem understanding that?
Kiev and Moscow could have reach an agreement long time ago if there were no Washington.Obama and his folowers are the evil.