Donetsk, Oct 6 – DAN. Ukrainian authorities should withdraw its mercenaries and illegal armed groups from Donbass and provide special status for the region, said DPR acting Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova.
On Friday, October 6, Ukrainian parliament has adopted the law on "establishing conditions for peace settlement of the situation in separate regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions", which prolongs Donbass special status for one more year. Nevertheless, Rada said the withdrawal of all 'unlawful armed groups and hardware, fighters and mercenaries' from Donbass was a condition to enacting the law on the region's status.
"The amendment included in the law links to the same preconditions introduced earlier on the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from the conflict zone," her statement sent to DAN reads. "At the same time Ukraine itself cannot fulfill the condition of withdrawal foreign mercenaries and illegal armed groups, represented by nationalistic volunteer battalions of Ukraine, which have to be pulled out."
Nikonorova said the new law has become another imitation of implementing the Minsk Agreements as the special status, adopted in 2014, has never been enacted.
"At the times when Donbass urgently needs a long-term political solution, Ukraine comes up with a sham, does not even come closer to real steps." *ot