Donetsk, Jul 13 - DAN. Adopting laws on Donbass without coordinating them with DPR and LPR is a violation of the Minsk Agreements, acting DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said in comments on Ukraine’s Donbass reintegration lawbill.
On 12 June, Konstantin Yeliseyev, deputy chief of staff of the Ukrainian president told Radio Liberty that Kiev was consulting over the document with its French, German and American partners.
“Passing legislative acts on Donbas without coordinating them with the Republics is nothing short of violation of the Minsk Agreements and an attempt to avoid fulfilling one’s commitments under these agreements,” Nikonorova said.
According to Article 11 of the Package of Measures, Kiev should agree the specificities of governance in the Republics with their representatives; in addition, Ukraine’s Verkhovnaya Rada (parliament) should pass a special law on the status of Donbass.
“If Kiev indeed wants to regain Donbass population’s confidence, it should not refer uncoordinated lawbills to the parliament, especially those on reintegration by means of Ukrainian armed forces. It must begin to fulfil the accords and terms of the Packages of Measures in prescribed sequence: in consultations and upon agreement with the Republic’s representatives,” the DPR diplomat said.
The “Donbass reintegration” document has not been officially presented yet, although Ukrainian policymakers have been talking about it for almost a month. On Thursday, some Ukrainian media disseminated the purported text of the law. It ignores fulfilling the key provision of the Minsk agreements, i.e. holding elections in the region. Instead, Ukrainian army will be given almost unlimited power.
Nikonorova said the political and legal basis of resolving the Donbass conflict is spelled out in the Packages of Measures and that only “the Minsk talks remain the only platform for diplomatic settlement of the Donbass situation.”*jk