Donetsk, Jan 24 – DAN. Political settlement within the framework of the Minsk Agreements is the only reliable basis for peace and mine clearance in Donbass, said DPR envoy to the negotiations Denis Pushilin.
"One of the Contact Group's top priorities for 2018 is mine clearance, according to the OSCE SMM. The reality is that in the absence of political decisions the main goal, de-escalation, is unachievable," he said.
He said political agenda is the basis for the settlement of all other issues. "If there are no mine fields, the threat of enemy's breakthrough builds up, as well as the possibility of Ukrainian armed forces occupying territories as they did more than once in these two years. This state of affairs will remain until the conditions of co-existence are defined, political rules are adopted," he explained.
He added that there is still no Donbass special status, no amnesty, and no elections.
"It means Ukraine is betting at another way of resolving the conflict, by adopting decisions at odds with the Minsk Agreements. The obvious proof to that is the recently adopted law on the so-called re-integration," Pushilin said. *ot