Phony Phone Story: Normandy Leaders Didn't Arrange for Savchenko's Release

A decision of the Ukrainian Nadezhda Savchenko exchange for two Russians was not reached during a telephone conversation of Normandy format, despite several statements.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Statements by a range of officials in regard to the exchange of Ukrainian Nadezhda Savchenko, who was serving 22 years in Russia for collaborating in the murder of two journalists, for two Russians, imprisoned for 14 years in Ukraine for alleged terrorist-related crimes, that an agreement was reached during a telephone conversation between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany are not true, a highly ranked source in Moscow said Thursday.

“While commenting on the exchange of Savchenko for two Russians, a range of Western officials said that an agreement on this was allegedly reached during a telephone conversation between the Normandy Four leaders. This isn’t true. As was announced yesterday, the decision was worked out long before [that conversation] and was made by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko,” the source said.

He added that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande were merely informed of Putin and Poroshenko’s decision during the telephone conversation.

“Statements are also unfounded that the exchange was completed in line with the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements,” the source said.

Relatives of the murdered journalists requested that Vladimir Putin pardon Nadezhda Savchenko as a humane gesture.