Donetsk, Sep 17 - DAN. The Ukrainian leadership has to start fulfilling the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements instead of “reinventing the wheel,” the Donetsk People’s Republic Foreign Minister, DPR envoy to the Minsk talks Natalia Nikonorova told the Donetsk News Agency on Tuesday.
“Over the past few days, we have heard many resounding statements by Ukrainian authorities who show the wonders of ingenuity and cunning in the hope to avoid the implementation of the Minsk Agreements,” Nikonorova said. “However, no matter how much Kiev wants to change things, Ukraine had and still has quite definite and clearly stated Donbass settlement obligations, confirmed by the international community.”
Instead of inventing vague formulae and promising certain radical measures, the Ukrainian leadership had better stop reinventing the wheel and begin to fulfil the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements which spell out all the necessary moves towards achieving a lasting peace. It is also necessary to implement the existing Steinmeier formula, twice approved by the leaders of the Minsk Agreements guarantor countries and use the all-for-all prisoner exchange formula instead of looking for excuses for not applying it. This activity to resume the peace process will be the best response to people’s expectations about which Kiev diplomats philosophise, she added.
“Ukrainian authorities’ statements that they have six to 12 months to continue the Minsk talks look particularly strange. Ukrainian representatives must have overlooked the fact that it is throughout their fault that the negotiations are delayed, and discussions over important issues are foiled, including political ones, whose solutions are essential for lasting and comprehensive conflict settlement,” the DPR foreign minister said.
Nikonorova reiterated that under no circumstances would the Ukrainian leaders be able to substitute or distort the meaning of the Minsk Agreements.
On September 16, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristaiko said that Kiev had its own formula to stop the Donbass war, the Zelensky formula. It envisions a peace dialogue for period of six months to one year, and “taking radical measures in case of a lack of result.”*jk