Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the fate of 24 Ukrainian sailors held in Russia since last year should be tied to the release of Russians held in Ukraine that Moscow wanted to be freed.
The Russian navy captured the Ukrainian sailors and their three vessels in the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, on Nov. 25, 2018, after opening fire on them.
“Issues like this one should not be resolved in isolation,” Putin said.