Leaders of Ukraine, Russia discuss release of prisoners

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone about the release of Ukrainian citizens detained in Russia, eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Zelenskiy’s office said in a statement on Friday.

They also discussed preparations for the next meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in the so-called ‘Normandy’ format.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatist fighters in the Donbass region in a war that has killed more than 13,000 people.

(Reporting by Matthias Williams)