Ombudsmen of Russia and Ukraine discussed ceasefire

On January 11, in Ankara, on the sidelines of the “Future of Human Rights in the 21st Century” forum organized by the Turkish side, a meeting was held between the Commissioners for Human Rights of the Russian Federation and Ukraine Tatyana Moskalkova and Dmitry Lubinets, the Russian Ombudsman said in her Telegram channel.

“We discussed issues of providing humanitarian assistance to citizens of the two countries,” wrote she.

Moskalkova also said that the ombudsmen participated in the process of returning 40 Russians and 40 Ukrainians from captivity. Earlier, Moskalkova and Lubinets exchanged lists with the names of prisoners whom the parties asked to be released.

During the meeting, the issue of missing servicemen was raised. According to Moskalkova, there are “a number of people who are alive.” She clarifiedthat Lubinets had done the work to establish their whereabouts. As a result, 22 Russian soldiers were found, some of them have already returned home.

After that, tripartite negotiations took place, and Turkish colleague Sheref Malkoch joined the Russian and Ukrainian Ombudsman. Moskalkova specified that the meeting was also attended by the speaker of the Turkish parliament, Mustafa Sentop.

Formerly Turkish Ombudsman spokethat it plans to discuss with the Russian and Ukrainian sides the issue of opening a humanitarian corridor between the Russian Federation and Ukraine to help children, women and the wounded affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

Later, Moskalkova told reporters that she had asked Lubinets to help Ukrainian citizens visit their relatives in Russia. The parties also raised the issue of the need to intensify the work of the Red Cross, which can visit the prisoners and provide them with medical assistance.

“During the meeting <...> very important words were said about the need for a ceasefire,” wrote Moskalkova in his Telegram channel following the negotiations.

According to the Russian representative, this is an important condition for preventing violations of human rights, in particular, the right to life. Moskalkova also urged Turkey not to supply weapons to Kyiv in order to prevent further escalation of the conflict. With such a request, she turned to Shentop.

Following the meeting, the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament informedthat Turkey will continue to make efforts for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He recalled that with the assistance of Ankara, a grain corridor had already been launched, and an exchange of prisoners had also taken place. Sentop stressed that Turkey will continue to provide assistance to the civilian population.

This is not the first face-to-face talks between Moskalkova and Lyubimets since the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine. The first meeting of the Ombudsmen of Russia and Ukraine took place in October 2022, when the exchange of prisoners took place under their control. Then 110 people returned to Russia, and 108 to Ukraine. After that, the Ombudsmen of the Russian Federation and Ukraine also communicated via video link.

Meetings of the commissioners for human rights of Russia and Ukraine are held on a regular basis, now it is important for the Turkish side to show that it also takes a full part in this dialogue, said Alexander Nemtsev, associate professor at the Financial University. But none of the ombudsmen has the power to suspend hostilities, he recalls.

“There is no need to talk about a ceasefire, given what is happening on the line of contact. Given that such statements [об обмене военнопленными] sound, then the Ukrainian commissioner received some instructions on this from the Ukrainian authorities, ”he told Vedomosti.

The expert believes that this meeting should be treated as a dialogue on the exchange of prisoners of war. It is possible that a dialogue is being held about some kind of major exchange, for example, according to the “all for all” formula, but the level of speakers does not yet allow us to draw a conclusion about this, Nemtsev believes.

Talking about a cease-fire is unprofitable, first of all, for the Russian side, military expert Viktor Litovkin believes. At this time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) can concentrate units in a certain direction, where they want to attack, and prepare a strike.

“We are now conducting offensive battles in Soledar, in the Artemovsky direction. We have almost completely freed this road, and the liberation of Soledar and Artemovsk opens the way to the last cities in the DPR for its complete liberation,” Litovkin told Vedomosti.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov informed January 11 about the presence of positive dynamics in the capture of Soledar by the Russian military. “Let’s not rush, let’s wait for official statements. There is a positive trend there. Success in military operations will be achieved when we fulfill the goals set by the Supreme Commander in the course of the NMD,” he said.

From noon on January 6 to the end of January 7, a ceasefire was introduced in the special operation zone in Ukraine on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Patriarch Kirill addressed him with such a request.

But Kyiv did not support Moscow’s initiative. At the Russian Ministry of Defense declaredthat the Armed Forces of Ukraine on January 6 and 7 continued shelling of settlements and Russian positions.

Ibrahim Kalin, official representative of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declaredthat Ankara hopes for an extension of the ceasefire declared by Russia in the war zone in Ukraine.

The reaction of the Ukrainian side and many Western leaders to the Christmas ceasefire is “incomprehensible and cynical”, noted January 10 Peskov. “If it helped anyone to do [помолиться в церквях]then it has already achieved its goal, ”said the Kremlin spokesman.