Donetsk, Feb 28 - DAN. Ukraine took an ‘unconstructive position’ at the Minsk talks rejecting the Donetsk and Lugansk’s proposal to introduce a “spring ceasefire,” Donetsk People’s Republic envoy to the Contact Group, DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said after the Donbass talks in the Belarussian capital on Thursday.
“Regrettably, the Ukrainian representatives did not support the proposal to introduce the “spring ceasefire” in the runup to the holidays,” Nikonorova said. "Absolute politicizing and hiding the main point of introducing and observing the ceasefire is the favourite tactic of Ukrainian negotiators.”
Kiev failed to offer any acceptable argument for preventing the recommitment to ceasefire in the region, she added. Also, the Ukrainian representatives were trying to convince the participants that this dialogue should only be conducted in the run up to Easter.
“Thanks to joint efforts of other Contact Group participants it was possible to give the Ukrainian negotiators the idea that ceasefire recommitment was necessary ahead of International Women’s Day. The OSCE suggested an extraordinary video conference to discuss the “spring ceasefire” date,” the DPR diplomat said.
Earlier reports said that the Donbass Republics’ representatives at the security subgroup meeting on Thursday called for recommitment to the “spring ceasefire.” *jk