MOSCOW. April 18 (Interfax) - The self-defense forces of Ukraine's Donetsk region will be prepared to surrender their weapons if certain conditions are met, the forces' representative Miroslav Rudenko told Interfax by phone on Friday.
"We will lay down our weapons only if the National Guard and other Ukrainian military structures stop attacking us, and if we and our families feel safe," Rudenko said.
The self-defense forces are also ready to consider the possibility of surrendering their weapons in exchange for being allowed to become citizens of Russia and retain their Ukrainian citizenship.
"So far, we have not received such proposals. But if we, residents of Donbas, are offered Russian citizenship as our second citizenship, we will not refuse. In this case, it will certainly be easier for us to surrender weapons because this will serve as a guarantee of our security," Rudenko said.
At their meeting in Geneva on April 17, Russia, the United States, the European Union and Ukraine agreed on initial concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and restore security for all citizens of Ukraine.