Donetsk, Feb 28 - DAN. The “spring ceasefire” will come into effect in Donbass overnight to March 8 if the Minsk subgroup on security succeeds in negotiating it during a video conference, Donetsk People’s Republic envoy to the Contact Group, the Republic’s Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said on Thursday.

“At the video conference on March 7, the Republics’ representatives are set to secure a positive decision from Ukraine regarding the recommitment to ceasefire,” Nikonorova said. “We hope that the mediators - the OSCE and the Russian Federation - will take an active position.

”If we all succeed in swaying Kiev, the spring ceasefire will become effective overnight to March 8,” she said.

The accord, if negotiated by the subgroup, has to be approved by the Contact Group for a peaceful settlement of the Donbass conflict, the DPR foreign minister added.

At the security subgroup talks in Minsk on Wednesday, the Donbass Republics’ representatives suggested that the parties reconfirm their ceasefire commitments for the spring. Ukraine did not support the DPR and LPR’s proposal.*jk