MOSCOW. Jan 19 (Interfax) - The State Duma believes Kyiv is trying to hide its real intentions of suppressing Donbas, using peace as a cover.
"As to the proposal on signing the ceasefire schedule beginning on January 19, which the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry published last night, it was made in this situation with the purpose of camouflaging the clear aggression of the Ukrainian military," Leonid Slutsky, the head of the State Duma committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and liaison with Russians living abroad, told reporters on Monday.
In addition, this "peace initiative" is a reaction to the next military defeat: the Ukrainian troops, which have recently begun an offensive on Donetsk, have never achieved a considerable success, the parliamentarian said.
"The main issue is who stands to gain from ceasefire violations. It's the forces that want to disrupt the process of rebuilding confidence between Russia and Europe, those forces that do not need effective negotiations in the 'Normandy' and 'Minsk' formats. Who needs that? It's Washington. And all that was timed to the date of the negotiations, the Council of the European Union, PACE, the meeting of the 'Normandy four' in Astana in January," Slutsky said.
Slutsky said the Kyiv authorities in this case are just a tool for preventing the normalization of the relations between Europe and Russia. "Hence the negative reaction to President Vladimir Putin's proposal to withdraw heavy artillery. Poroshenko is not an independent figure here," he said.
In the meantime, Slutsky said Russia as a participant in the Minsk contact group and a mediator in the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine has already signed agreements envisaging a ceasefire.
"I have no doubt that this position will be confirmed again and again. We consistently favor a peaceful solution to the situation and de-escalation of violence in southeastern Ukraine," the parliamentarian said.