In accordance with the date of the practical steps for renewing the obligations of the parties to implement the Framework Decision on the disengagement site near Petrovskoye, agreed by all the participants to the Contact Group in Minsk, the Donetsk People’s Republic completed the measures envisaged by the approved scheduled plan: on November 2, the OSCE SMM was provided with all the necessary baseline information, on November 3, there was issued notification of willingness to proceed with the renewal of disengagement obligations, and on November 4, a white flare was launched at a set time.
However, despite the strong statements by the President of Ukraine, along with the encouragement by OSCE SMM Special Representative Martin Saydik, similar actions on the Ukrainian side never followed: Kiev authorities have once again ignored the agreements negotiated by all participants to the Contact Group.
After the October 29 meeting in Minsk, representatives of Ukraine made various kinds of public statements in which, as it later became obvious, they were paving the way for non-fulfillment of their obligations.
The continued utterly meaningless and destructive “games” of seven days of silence and allegedly uncontrollable radical forces amply demonstrate the true position of the current Ukrainian leadership on the implementation of peacemaking initiatives to resolve the armed conflict in Donbass.
We hope that the OSCE SMM will record in its reports the fact that the DPR People’s Militia is ready to address violations, as the Mission representatives were present, although this time at a certain distance from the immediate launch site, but in the direct line of sight, and also watched the launch process.
Unfortunately, the goodwill of one party is not enough to de-escalate the conflict – the key point is the simultaneity and coherence of the actions of both parties. However, Kiev authorities continue to demonstrate inflexibility and unwillingness to fulfill its obligations.
We emphasize that the commitment to the implementation of the scheduled plan approved by the Contact Group has been repeatedly confirmed on our part. The DPR People’s Militia forces are still ready to renew commitments to implement the Framework Decision on a new date agreed by all members of the Contact Group.
At the same time, we demand to condemn Ukraine’s failure to fulfill its obligations at the upcoming meetings of the OSCE Permanent Council. We also inform of our intention to consider the breach of the disengagement agreement by the Ukrainian party at the next meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk.