DONETSK. Nov 7 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian side has refused to hold a video link-up to negotiate a date when the next attempt of disengagement near Petrivske should take place, the foreign minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Natalia Nikonorova, told reporters.
"As we have so far received no official response from the Ukrainian side about holding an emergency Contact Group meeting at our initiative to which only the coordinator, [OSCE envoy] Ambassador [Martin] Sajdik, has reacted proposing to shift the meeting date to November 8, we contacted him to understand more clearly the position of Ukrainian representatives on the matter. Unfortunately, Mr. Sajdik told us that the emergency Contact Group meeting would not be held, without providing any reason," Nikonorova said.
The DPR's proposals on convening an urgent Contact Group meeting were sent on November 5 and 6 after the Ukrainian side disrupted disengagement measures at Petrivske on November 4. However, the DPR representatives have since received no official proposals on a new date from Kyiv, she said.
"At this point, the situation is such that Kyiv has derailed the launch of disengagement action on all dates approved by the Contact Group at the behest of the Normandy Four, while the forces of the DPR Militia have repeatedly released a white flare on the agreed dates. Kyiv appears to have no will to negotiate with the republics, imposing unilateral actions, which are being used for accusations in media," Nikonorova said.
"We propose collectively agreeing on a date within the framework of an emergency meeting of the Contact Group and implementing the already achieved agreements. We are still prepared to synchronically implement the practical part of measures on a date approved by the Contact Group," she said.