Prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kiev and Russia warns against Ukraine joining NATO

Russia and Ukraine will exchange 90 prisoners of war on Wednesday in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Ukrainian media reported last week that parliament's human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, said the government, with the help of the UAE, was planning a "large" prisoner exchange with Russia soon.

Russia and Ukraine have carried out several prisoner swaps in the 27-month-old war following Russia's attack on Ukraine, with the two sides returning 90 prisoners in the latest swap, in June, also mediated by the UAE.

"planet destruction"

In a separate context, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Ukraine joining NATO would be a declaration of war on Moscow and that "only the alliance showing wisdom can prevent the destruction of the planet."

At their summit in Washington last week, alliance leaders pledged to support Ukraine on an "irreversible path to Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership," but left open the question of when it could gain membership.

Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and a leading voice among Kremlin hawks, told the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper on Wednesday that Ukraine's membership would go beyond the immediate threat to Moscow's security, adding: "This would be, in essence, a declaration of war."

He explained that "the actions that Russia's opponents have been taking against us for years and the expansion of the alliance are taking NATO to the point of no return," noting that Russia has not threatened NATO but will respond to the alliance's attempts to expand, stressing, "The more these attempts increase, the harsher our responses will become."

Medvedev was seen as pro-Western during his presidency from 2008-2012, but he has recast himself as a Kremlin hawk, warning the United States and its allies that arming Kiev could lead to a “nuclear catastrophe.”

Since February 24, 2022, Russia has launched a military attack on Ukraine, and has set a condition for ending it: Kiev abandons plans to join Western military blocs, while capitals, led by Washington, have imposed severe economic sanctions on Moscow.