Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 30 deceMber 2019

Ukraine, eastern rebels swap prisoners in move to end war

By EVGENIY MALOLETKA of its contributors, Stanislav nexation of the Crimean
Associated Press Aseyev and Oleh Halaziuk, Peninsula soon followed.
MAIORSK CHECKPOINT, were among the released; Hopes for ending the fight-
Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian they were taken captive in ing have risen since the
forces and Russia-backed 2017. election of Ukrainian Presi-
rebels in eastern Ukraine Other civilians released by dent Volodymyr Zelenskiy,
on Sunday exchanged 200 the separatists included who has been more ame-
prisoners in a move aimed a pet shop owner who nable to negotiations with
at ending their five-year was detained last year on Russia on ending the war.
war. unknown charges and a But prospects for peace
The swap at a checkpoint woman from government- are troubled by questions
near the rebel-held city controlled territory who over allowing local elec-
of Horlivka was part of an was seized while visiting her tions that would ensure
agreement brokered this mother in a rebel area. the rebel regions more au-
month at a summit of the A representative of the Lu- tonomy and about Ukraine
leaders of Ukraine, Russia, hansk rebels, Olga Kovtse- regaining control of its bor-
Germany and France. Ukrainian war prisoners walk after being released after a va, was quoted by Russian der with Russia in the rebel
prisoner exchange, near Odradivka, eastern Ukraine, Sunday,
According to figures from Dec. 29, 2019. news agencies as saying areas.
officials of the Donetsk and Associated Press those released to her side Russian President Vladimir
Luhansk People's republics included five Russian citi- Putin and German Chan-
— the two separatist gov- included five former mem- Hromadske quoted their zens and one from Brazil. cellor Angela Merkel ex-
ernments in the rebel area bers of the now-disbanded lawyer, Igor Varfolomeyev, The last major prisoner swap pressed satisfaction about
— Ukraine turned over 124 special police force Berkut as saying. between separatist rebels the exchange in a Sunday
people and the separatists who were charged in the The Security Service of and Ukrainian forces took telephone call, the Kremlin
freed 76. killing of protesters in Kyiv Ukraine said the 76 freed place in December 2017, said.
Those released by Ukraine in 2014, Ukrainian news site by the rebels included 12 with 233 rebels exchanged Merkel and French Presi-
servicemen, two of whom for 73 Ukrainians. dent Emmanuel Macron
had been held since 2015 The conflict in eastern viewed the exchange as
after being ambushed Ukraine has killed more "a long hoped-for humani-
while escorting a convoy of than 14,000 people since tarian gesture that should
wounded out of the battle 2014. It began about two contribute to the restora-
of Debaltseve, which de- months after Ukraine's Rus- tion of trust between the
stroyed much of the city. sia-friendly president fled two sides," according to
U.S.-funded Radio Free Eu- the country amid massive a German government
rope/Radio Liberty said two protests in Kyiv. Russia's an- statement.q
Ousted UK lawmakers blame Labour’s

response to anti-Semitism

within their party's leadership.
The comments follow a parliamentary
election earlier this month that gave La-
bour its worst election defeat since 1935
and made pro-Brexit Prime Minister Boris
Johnson the most electorally successful
leader of the Conservative Party since
Margaret Thatcher.
In a letter that was published in The
Observer newspaper on Sunday, the
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, right, 11-strong group of former Labour leg-
and opposition Labour Party Leader Jeremy
Corbyn, left, walk through the Commons islators and candidates called for an
Members Lobby after hearing the Queen's "unflinching" review of the party's failed
Speech in Parliament, in London, Thursday, campaign.
Dec. 19, 2019. The group blamed Labour's lack of pop-
Associated Press ularity with voters on "nationalization and
Associated Press uncontrolled spending commitments,"
LONDON (AP) — A group of politicians as well as "cronyism at the top of our
from Britain's opposition Labour Party party" and a "repeated unwillingness to
have called for "fundamental change" stand up to the stain of anti-Semitism."q