At the negotiations in Minsk, Ukraine again refused to implement the “Steinmeier formula”
Today, at negotiations in Minsk, it was again not possible to obtain agreement from Ukrainian representatives to implement the “Steinmeier formula,” which provides for the granting of a special status to Donbass in the Ukrainian Constitution and the holding of local elections there.
This was reported by Victoria Talakina, press secretary of the DPR permanent representative at the negotiations Denis Pushilin.
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“The subgroup on political issues was able to begin discussing the agenda. However, it was not possible to reach consensus on one of the main political issues - the maintenance and implementation of the Steinmeier Formula.
Let me remind you that the Steinmeier Formula was repeatedly supported by the Normandy format, including by the Ukrainian president, but Ukrainian negotiators are in no hurry to move on to working on implementing the formula within the framework of the Minsk process,” Talakina wrote.
According to her, issues related to the implementation of a total blockade of Donbass by the Ukrainian side contrary to the Minsk agreements were also discussed at the negotiations.
“Instead of working to restore the banking system and economic ties, and talk about the need to pay pensions and benefits, Ukraine is persistently and stubbornly pushing Donbass out of its space.
The introduction by radicals and the legalization by the Ukrainian government of the transport blockade of Donbass ultimately affects the well-being of Ukraine itself. If the Republics have learned to live without Ukraine in three years, the Ukrainian state has not yet learned to survive in the absence of Donetsk coal and taxes from large industrial enterprises in Donbass,” said Denis Pushilin.
For her part, the press secretary of the Ukrainian representative at the negotiations Leonid Kuchma Darka Olifer stated that the participants of the Contact Group heard preliminary information from the head of the OSCE SMM Erturul Apakan on the progress of the investigation into the tragic incident that occurred with the OSCE SMM patrol on April 23, 2017 in the Luhansk region.
And the OSCE special representative at the negotiations in Minsk, Martin Sajdik, noted that at the meeting of the contact group, the parties agreed on procedural issues related to the mechanism for verifying the list of prisoners who, after release, would like to remain in the territory where they were during their imprisonment.
“At the meetings, humanitarian issues took a place in the discussions in Minsk. The discussion today focused on the verification mechanism, the wishes of those citizens who, after release, would like to remain in the territory where they were during their imprisonment. I am glad that today the parties were able to agree on procedural issues related to this mechanism, and it should work,” said Sajdik.
The next meeting of the Contact Group will take place on May 15.
At the Minsk talks , Ukraine again refused to implement the "Steinmeier formula."