President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would like to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin the exchange of citizens whom he called “Ukrainian political prisoners.” The text of his conversation with journalists was published on Thursday by the official website of the head of state.

“We can talk about the exchange, and we talk, and we prepared the lists. But they separate the lists of those who stay in ORDLO (separate districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions – TASS comment), and the lists of our guys and girls who are in Crimea or on the territory of Russia, “he said.

“Today, apart from direct negotiations with the President of Russia regarding the Crimean prisoners, I see no other way out,” Zelensky said. “The President of the Russian Federation today can safely return our prisoners to us, even if he does not believe that they are political prisoners. We are ready and to exchanges, and to any steps to return our Crimeans. “

At the same time, Zelensky did not specify who exactly was in question. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that there are no political prisoners in Russia, but there are those convicted or accused of crimes provided for by the criminal law.