On Wednesday she made a celebrated return to the country still embroiled in a fight against Moscow-backed separatists.
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She was later spirited across the border and put on trial in Russia for the murder of two Russian journalists who were killed by shelling on the same day she was taken prisoners.
Mr Putin said he had acted after meeting relatives of the two Russian journalists, who had asked him to show mercy to Savchenko.
Aidar’s fighters have been branded as “fascists” by Russian Federation and condemned for resorting to the torture of captives and other abuses by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The release of Savchenko and the two Russians still can not divert from the great number of people being held hostage in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Poroshenko recently said he was prepared to pardon Yerofeyev and Alexandrov if Russian Federation agreed to exchange them for Savchenko.
Ukraine had talked to Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President on Monday night about preparations to hold elections in the conflict zone of eastern Ukraine.
She was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin before her return to Ukraine. Its registration number RA-61716 says that it is part of the Rossiya special aviation unit, which transports Russia’s top brass, including high-ranking FSB officials.
Three weeks later, she reappeared in Russian custody, where she was charged with directing artillery fire that killed two Russian journalists during the fighting.
Western officials, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, had lobbied Moscow for Lieutenant Savchenko’s release, calling her a political prisoner. During prosecution they were identified as senior military intelligence officers, but Russian Federation has denied they were on duty at the time of their arrest.
Russian citizens Evgeny Erofeev and Aleksandr Aleksandrov were sentenced in Ukraine in April to 14 years each in prison after a district court in Kiev found them guilty of terrorist activities.
“Just as we brought back Nadezhda [Savchenko], so we will bring back Donbass [the eastern Ukrainian regions] and Crimea under Ukrainian sovereignty”, Poroshenko said. And Russian experts argue that the case of Mr. Alexandrov and Mr. Yerofeyev is no smoking gun.
Moscow denies this, but admits that Russian “volunteers” are fighting with the rebels.
Meanwhile, President Poroshenko – who awarded Savchenko a Hero of Ukraine star – said: “This is our common victory!” “Arguing over it has already proven to be a dead end”. “You fought for everyone behind bars”. Politicians would have kept silent if people had been silent.
“Step back if you want me to say anything”.
Savchenko is a popular figure in Ukraine, where in her absence she was elected to parliament as a lawmaker for ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s party.
Steinmeier added he wished “Ms. Savchenko a speedy health improvement”.
As Savchenko said earlier, she didn’t recognize the court’s verdict but wouldn’t appeal it.
The 35-year-old has became a celebrated figure in her home country.
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“I would like to apologize that I am still alive”.
