The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that 44 more people who were in Russian captivity were returned to Ukraine, including two civilians, thus the total number of Ukrainians released from Russian captivity since the beginning of the war reached 2,279 people, News.ro reports.. He also referred to the discussions with the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, noting: “Now there is an opportunity to give new impetus to our relations – between Ukraine and China. There is an opportunity to use China’s political influence to restore the strength of the principles and rules on which peace should be based.”

“We managed to return to Ukraine another 44 people who were in Russian captivity. Most of them are military. From different sides. Among them are defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, other cities of Donetsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions… Most of them are soldiers and sergeants. Some are officers. Two of them are civilians,” Zelenskyi said in a message sent on Wednesday evening.

He explained that there are categories of prisoners whose return to the country is difficult, including civilians.

“We remember everyone. And even if there is no accurate information about this or that person, about what happened to him, where he might be, he is still being searched for and everything is checked as much as possible. Ukraine must return all its people,” said the Ukrainian president, thanking those involved in these exchanges.

“Of course, I’m grateful to the soldiers on the front lines who replenish the exchange fund. Every Russian prisoner of war is an opportunity to exchange with our people. In total, during the full-scale war, 2,279 Ukrainians were returned from Russian captivity,” Zelenskyi said.

He added that he discussed with the Chinese president, it was a “long and completely rational” conversation.

“It is usually said that such conversations open up opportunities. Now there is an opportunity to give a new impetus to our relations – between Ukraine and China. There is an opportunity to use China’s political influence to restore the strength of the principles and rules on which peace must be based. Ukraine and China, like most countries in the world, are equally interested in the strength of national sovereignty and territorial integrity… In accordance with the main rules of security, especially the inadmissibility of nuclear weapons threats and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world. We are equally interested in the fact that the situation around the Zaporizhzhya NPP is finally fully secured and that nuclear power plants are never again used for military purposes, which is exactly the kind of cynical use Russia is trying to turn to as a norm. Volodymyr Zelenskyi noted.

He noted that he heard words of support for the Black Sea grain initiative from the Chinese leader.

“Of course, an essential part of the conversation was our vision of how to restore a just peace. I presented the Ukrainian peace formula, its exact points. We agreed to continue communication,” said the Ukrainian leader.

Zelensky noted that he participated in a conference in Rome dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine, but also had a separate conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the main topic of which was defense cooperation and support for Ukrainian fighters.

“These days, we are working with our partners to coordinate defense and supply activities. It is very important for Ukraine that everyone who works with us to protect freedom clearly understands what prospects our government has and what we can do. The better we understand each other, the easier it is to work for a common victory,” he added.

The President of Ukraine also announced that he spoke with the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Raphael Grossi.

“Commemoration of the Chernobyl disaster is the right day to remind everyone in the world how fragile our security is. Especially since the threat of a radioactive disaster at the Zaporizhia NPP, artificially created by Russia, has been looming every day and every minute for over a year. Only full control of Ukraine over the Zaporizhzhia plant can restore the complete security not only of our country, but also of the whole of Europe and the whole world. Radiation does not take into account state borders, like the Russian Federation. And only full compliance with the rules can guarantee safety,” Zelensky emphasized.

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