According to her, in a diplomatic note transmitted to Kiev through the Ukrainian embassy, it was said that, according to Russian law, "seamen can be released not from responsibility, but from custody," which is "a very important point."
“But under the written guarantee of the participation of each of the 24 seamen in the pre-trial and judicial proceedings,” the website kp.ru quotes the representative of the Foreign Ministry.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side stated that “it is not interested in any form”. Zakharova believes that “a certain failure, dysfunction of the state apparatus” occurred in Kiev.
“We still, except for Zelensky’s statement that no one was coordinating with him about the negative response, did not see and did not receive any other actions or statements from the Ukrainian side, except for that negative reaction,” she said.
Answering the clarifying question whether the Russian proposal on seamen remains in force, Zakharova added that “neither we didn’t recall anything, nor did Kiev send anything but a negative”.
Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigory Karasin said that the issue of the exchange of Ukrainian sailors is being discussed.