MOSCOW. Feb 3 (Interfax) - Leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky said they remained adherent to the idea of peace talks with Kyiv, but would remain on the positions they currently hold.
"We resent bloodshed. We are ready to stop, but only where we are now. We will not betray the memory of civilians and comrades-in-arms, killed in January. We advocate peace talks. We demand that Kyiv sit down at the negotiating table and hold talks. Again, our representatives, unlike yours, have all the required powers," the two leaders said in a joint statement, circulated by Donetsk News Agency on Monday.
"Donbas lost 242 civilians in January. Two hundred and seventy-three people were wounded, 434 buildings were destroyed, 92 fighters of the armed forces of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics were killed and 411 were wounded," they said.
Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky blamed Kyiv for attempting to use force to resolve the conflict.
"In such conditions we made the only possible decision to push the armed gangs and their artillery as far from Luhansk and Donetsk as possible not to allow them to commit their crimes," the two leaders said.
They also blamed Kyiv for derailing the Minsk talks.
"Now what did we hear in Minsk? They proposed, after unleashing a new round of hostilities, to comply with the disengagement line drawn in September 2014. Why? To shell our cities again? To kill innocent civilians, women, children and old people? No, gentlemen, forget all this. You are going through another major military defeat. After concluding the truce you deceived us again. While accepting the September 19 contact line we were aware that it was too near to our cities. But we were guided by the expectation that the artillery systems would be removed in accordance with the Minsk Memorandum. Instead of pulling out the heavy weaponry you redeployed and augmented the forces and assumed an offensive. It was not we who started the military operation - we did not issue such orders. We withstood the onslaught, fought hard, defensive battles and repelled the aggressor," the statement says.
Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky confirmed that their envoys Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego "have all the powers needed to negotiate a document on ceasefire and on heavy weapon pullout from the frontline, and agreeing a new disengagement line." "Their powers have been publicly confirmed in the Donetsk and Luhansk republic leaders' orders."
"However, Kyiv representatives initially did not turn up at the talks at all, but they arrived with unclear powers. We therefore deem Kyiv's and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's claims that the Minsk talks were derailed through the fault of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics' leaders, as absolutely at odds with the reality and as distorting the actual situation. Kyiv and Mr. Poroshenko are not prepared for the talks, and Poroshenko keeps running around, afraid to assume the responsibility," Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky said.
"We urge the world community and European structures to open their eyes at last, influence the Kyiv rulers and prevent further military escalation," the statement says.