Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will continue efforts to exchange prisoners with Moscow, although he expressed doubts that it will be successful.
"Ukraine continues to do everything possible to ensure the release of our prisoners of war and the return of the bodies of our fallen fighters," Zelensky said in his evening video address.
"Unfortunately, the full lists from Russia for the exchange of over 1,000 people, as agreed in Istanbul, have not yet been submitted. As usual, the Russian side is once again trying to turn such issues into a dirty political and information game," he added.
If the Kremlin "does not adhere to agreements, even on humanitarian issues, this will seriously question all international efforts - especially those of the United States - for talks and diplomacy."
Meanwhile, Zelensky told the American television network ABC that only "huge pressure" from Washington and Europe could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down.
"Then, they will stop the war," he said.
On Sunday, Ukrainian officials rejected Russia's accusations that Kiev was delaying the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers.
Kremlin adviser Vladimir Medinsky claimed that Ukraine had unexpectedly postponed both the prisoner exchange and the acceptance of troops indefinitely.
Medinsky said Russia had already handed Ukraine a list of 640 prisoners - giving priority to the wounded, seriously ill and young - to start the exchange process.
The Ukrainian Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated that Russia's claims do not correspond to reality or previous agreements.
According to Ukrainian officials, although both sides had agreed in principle to return the bodies of around 12,000 dead soldiers after peace talks in Istanbul, no specific date had been set for the exchange.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry accused Moscow of trying to "rewrite" the agreements reached in Istanbul and of creating "artificial obstacles and false statements" to delay the process. The ministry warned that if Russia does not fulfill its promises, it calls into question the credibility of the Russian negotiating team.
United States President Donald Trump has urged both sides to end the war, which began in February 2022.
Kiev has agreed to the US call for a 30-day ceasefire. Moscow has objected and said that several conditions must first be met, which are unacceptable to Ukraine./REL (A2 Televizion)
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