The United Arab Emirates offered assistance to Russia and Ukraine in an event of a possible prisoner exchange, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported citing people familiar with the developments.
The people also told RIA Novosti the proposal sent by the Emirati is being considered as both nations finalize lists of prisoners scheduled to be swapped.
Russia and Ukraine have claimed that both nations have captured hundreds of prisoners of war (POWs) since Russia’s war on Ukraine on February 24.
Russia’s defense minister Sergei Shoigu in the first week of June said Russian forces have captured more than 6,500 Ukrainian fighters.
The Ukrainian government earlier in June said that 11 rounds of prisoner swaps have been organized since the outbreak of the war. Dozens of prisoners were swapped in those rounds.
Both nations have accused each other’s forces of committing war crimes and atrocities and mistreating civilians and POWs.
Videos surfaced where Ukrainian forces were seen hurting surrendered Russian army men while Russia’s role in the Bucha massacre continues to be probed.
Tatyana Moskalkova, Russia’s top human rights official, accused Ukrainian forces of alleged execution of Russian POWs.
The UAE’s proposal, if accepted by the Russians, could prove to be uncomfortable for US president Joe Biden as he travels to West Asia next month.
Neither the US or its western allies, barring France on certain occasions, were able to give diplomacy a chance since the war broke out and have taken an adversarial stance against Russia.
The UAE’s diplomatic step could further create fears in the West that a new global order could rise to challenge West-backed institutions like the World Bank, G7, G20 and the EU among others.
The UAE in previous occasions has abstained from abstaining from a vote at the United Nations Security Council to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The UAE along with neighbor Saudi Arabia were among the West Asian oil-producing nations who declined to take US president Joe Biden’s calls. The nation also has been accused of welcoming Russian oligarchs, who have had the world’s doors closed on them owing to US sanctions.
These two along with Russia also were instrumental to driving up of oil prices as residents in US cities battles rising fuel costs at the pump.
(with inputs from RT.com, the Intercept and AFP)
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