Kiev’s wish to change Donbass status terms threatens peace process – speaker

Donetsk, Sep 16 – DAN. Ukrainian authorities’ intention to rewrite the terms of special status for Donbass threatens the Donbass peace talks, Donetsk People’s Republic parliament speaker Vladimir Bidyovka told the Donetsk News Agency on Monday.

On September 14, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristaiko announced at the annual Yalta European Strategy forum in Kiev Ukraine’s refusal to provide special status to Donbass.

“Sitting in a peaceful Kiev, Mr Pristaiko, announces some additional conditions with respect to special status for Donbass, which, of course, have not been coordinated with the Republics (the DPR and the LPR – eds DNA),” Bidyovka said.  By making such statements, Ukraine only worsens the situation, threatening the entire peace process.”

This Ukrainian initiative, together with Kiev’s statements about the readiness to implement the Minsk agreements amid the unceasing Ukrainian forces’ strikes at the People’s Republics, look cynical.

“Securing special status in the Ukrainian Constitution and full amnesty make up the foundation for political resolution of the conflict which is critical for its peaceful settlement.  I’m confident that the guarantor countries have seen the true “face” of Kiev after such statements and that they will take appropriate measures with respect to Ukraine,” the DPR speaker said.

The Agreements dated September 5 and 19, 2014 and February 12, 2015 forged by the Contact Group in Minsk make groundwork for a peaceful settlement of the Donbass conflict. The Contact Group set forth a peace plan and agreed a ceasefire, then adopted the Memorandum on ceasefire implementation and later on the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

It envisioned immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Donbass, withdrawal of heavy weapons, establishment of security zones, discussion of the modalities for the resumption of payment of pensions and allowances to DPR and LPR citizens, and constitutional reform in Ukraine which should result in deep decentralisation. Special status for Donbass is a key point of the political part of the agreements.

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