Russia tried to block Montreal conference on Peace Formula - Sybiha

According to Ukrinform's own correspondent, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha told reporters after the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula in Montreal.

According to him, the conference has become truly global - from the list of participants representing all continents to the issues and decisions discussed.

The participants discussed in detail the context and key issues of the return of Ukrainian children, prisoners of war and civilians, the minister informed. 

“I am glad that we have agreed with a number of partners on how to speed up this process,” Sybiha said, noting that Russia had tried to block the event and ”acted destructively in a number of capitals.”

Russia sees this topic as a great danger to itself because of its impunity, and this fear is based on tragic figures and facts behind which are thousands of Ukrainian lives, the Foreign Minister said.

He said that Ukraine has already released more than 3,000 people from Russian captivity as a result of 58 exchanges. At the same time, 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war were subjected to brutal torture. “The widespread use of torture indicates that it has become an integral part of Russia's state policy,” the minister emphasized.

According to Sybiha, almost 42,000 civilians of Ukraine are listed in the Unified Register of Missing Persons. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has deported and forcibly displaced almost 20 thousand people. To date, about 860 children have been returned home.

There are about a thousand journalists, priests and seriously wounded in Russian captivity, the Foreign Minister added. 

In his opinion, it is necessary to develop “a mechanism to correct the current international system, to make this system work properly, in accordance with the challenges of this war.”

As reported, a thematic conference was held in Montreal on the fourth point of the Ukrainian Formula for Peace, “Release of Prisoners and Deportees.” The event was attended by representatives of about 70 states and international organizations. It was organized by Canada and Norway as co-chairs of the working group on the implementation of this point.