OF THE
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"The exchange will happen without any hindrance from the DPR or LPR [separatist-controlled areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions]," he said, adding that the prisoner swap was in its "first stage."
If the exchange is carried out, it will the first one in 14 months.
...
At a meeting in Minsk on December 20, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the separatists, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that they had agreed on a holiday cease-fire starting at midnight on December 23.
The cease-fire was agreed "in connection with the forthcoming Christmas and New Year festivities" and existing agreements and obligations, said an OSCE statement.
However, on December 25, both sides in the conflict made claims accusing each other of violating the cease-fire agreement.
Comment: China massive Belt and Road initiative is not just about building trade. Underlying their model is a powerful tool to rebuild relationships and counter the vulnerabilities that open the doors for chaos. The Western world has destroyed and co-opted many of Eurasia's historic centers of trade. Instead of spreading wealth and productivity, these areas have been mutilated and converted to spread conflict. Both China and Russia are attempting to do the real work of rebuilding societies through mutually beneficial networks and exchange. The days of the West's all encompassing corrupting influence are very likely numbered.