Ukraine is placing the exchange of prisoners of war at the top of its diplomatic agenda in discussions with the United States, calling special attention to soldiers who defended Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant.
During a briefing on March 13, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi stressed that Kyiv wants the issue explicitly included in joint statements with the US.
“For us, this is one of the main confidence-building measures. And of course, this includes Azovstal defenders, which include both Azov and other units,” Tykhyi said, as reported by United24 Media.
He added that Ukraine does not draw distinctions between units or formations when it comes to bringing its service members home.
“We don’t separate, you know. We want our people back and we are ready to intensify the exchange [efforts] of prisoners of war,” Tykhyi stated.
Many of the Azovstal defenders, including fighters from the Azov Brigade and other Ukrainian units, withstood a brutal siege in Mariupol before being captured by Russian forces in 2022.
Tykhyi’s statement comes amid renewed international efforts to mediate the humanitarian dimensions of the war, with Kyiv seeking stronger US engagement on this front.
During the same briefing, Tykhyi reported on Ukraine’s three key proposals during the Ukraine-US meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: achieving a ceasefire in the air; a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea; and the exchange of prisoners of war.
