The parties failed to reach consensus on security issues at the Contact Group meeting

At the April 8 Contact Group meeting on security issues, unfortunately, no progress was made on any agenda item, the DPR Foreign Affairs Ministry reports.

Regarding the new disengagement sites’ coordination, Plenipotentiary Natalia Nikonorova reminded those present that, as of today [April 8], the DPR had submitted a total of 5 thoroughly drafted proposals, taking into account all the Framework Decision requirements.

“At the moment, there is an actual opportunity to agree upon and, finally, proceed to approving a disengagement schedule on four sites proposed by the Republics that caused no objections on the part of Ukraine. We are ready to accept any disengagement start date.

However, instead of efficient work, the Ukrainian party prefers to blow one’s own trumpet, proposing to postpone the coordination and hold another meeting of the specialized group this Friday, on April 10, at 11:00 p.m. without submitting their stands in advance. Due to the obvious inexpediency, this proposal received no support from other participants,” Natalia Nikonorova said.

The DPR Plenipotentiary emphasized that the Republic had long submitted its draft Supplement to the Framework Decision on the disengagement of forces and assets, along with proposals for the Russian Federation’s draft.

“We were willing to discuss drafts on items as early as April 6, as part of the security subgroup’s activities, arguing for our amendments, bearing in mind the main aims and objectives of this supplement,” she added.

Another important security issue was the coordination of the text of the Contact Group’s statement in support for the permanent ceasefire effective from 21 July 21 2019, including additional measures to enhance and control it.

“We must follow the path of progress, that is, not to take out previously agreed measures, as the Ukrainian party does, but, on the contrary, to supplement them by improving the package of measures that, as experience has shown, should be adopted and signed by the parties for efficiency to be achieved. In our opinion, if the Ukrainian party disclaims even the previously negotiated measures, it thus demonstrates its unwillingness to follow the path of peace and refuses the steps designed to ensure control over the ceasefire.

Let me remind you that we supported Mr. Ermak’s initiative at the Contact Group meeting in Minsk on March 11 to introduce measures to establish a direct telephone link to immediately terminate ceasefire violations in case if it is needed. We see it as a truly important and effective measure for the operational control over the silence regime to be implemented. Therefore, we were surprised when we saw the edits the Ukrainian party had made to the text of the Contact Group’s statement, from which they had taken out this measure. And it is completely unacceptable to us to remove previously agreed, essential measures, such as “non-use of any type of fire, including sniper fire”, “prohibition of offensive operations and reconnaissance and sabotage operations,” “publication and observance of relevant ceasefire orders, on which there must be made public statements from the parties’ supreme command,” DPR Plenipotentiary and Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said.