The Elysee Palace reported on May 28 that French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin release Ukrainian prisoners of war who left the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, Donetsk People’s Republic.
It is noted that the corresponding demand was made during telephone conversations between the leaders of the three countries.
“President of the Republic [Франция] and the German chancellor demanded the release of about 2.5 thousand people from Azovstal, taken prisoner by Russian troops,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement.
In addition, Macron and Scholz stated the need to “lift the blockade of the port of Odessa in order to allow the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. The proposal, clarified in the Elysee Palace, is aimed at avoiding a global food crisis.
Earlier in the day, German Cabinet spokesman Steffen Hebestreit noted that the German chancellor and the French leader took positively the promise of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to treat prisoners in accordance with international law. He clarified that Scholz and Macron initiated a telephone conversation, which ultimately lasted 80 minutes.
During telephone conversations, as reported in the Kremlin, the leaders of the countries exchanged views on topical aspects of the situation in Ukraine and other issues.
Also on Saturday, the press secretary of the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov, announced that Vladimir Putin, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron agreed to continue contacts by phone.
On May 20, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the complete release of Azovstal. According to the agency, from May 16 to May 20, 2,439 Azov militants and Ukrainian servicemen surrendered during the Russian special operation.
As the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, later stated, he noted that the military tribunal over the militants from Azovstal should be held as transparently and publicly as possible with the participation of other countries, including the West.
The special operation of the Russian Federation to protect Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, continues. The situation in the region escalated in mid-February due to shelling by the Ukrainian military. The authorities of the DPR and LPR announced the evacuation of residents to Russia and turned to Moscow for help. On February 21, the Russian leader signed decrees recognizing the independence of the republics.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
