Donetsk, Jun 3 – DAN. Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky has re-appointed Leonid Kuchma to represent the country at the Minsk talks making the negotiations zero-efficient, said the chairman of the DPR People's Council foreign policy committee Vladislav Berdichevsky.

"The most experienced one, Leonid Kuchma, was returned to the Contact Group, but it is pointless, he will just talk a lot. Earlier Kuchma said that Donbass is not going to be granted special status. Taking his statements into account, I can assure that the effectiveness of the Minsk talks will be zero. It won't be possible to take the talks out of deadlock."

Berdichevsky said that the Ukrainian team reshuffle would have no impact on its position towards Donbass. Kiev's representatives would continue to "table propositions non-related to the Minks process". "Believe me, nothing changes with this president. I am sure there will be no effective changes in Minsk."

Earlier in the day Zelensky appointed Kuchma to represent Ukraine at the Minsk Contact Group. Previously, Kuchma occupied the same position from 2014 to 2018.

The next round of talks is scheduled in Minsk for June 5. *ot