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Putin says he discussed possible deployment of UN mission in Ukraine with Steinmeier

The Russian leader reiterated that strict compliance with the Minsk Accords should be the basis of a lasting and comprehensive settlement in southeastern Ukraine

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that among other things he discussed with Germany’s visiting President Frank Walter Steinmeier the situation in Ukraine.

"We touched upon the state of affairs in Ukraine," Putin said after the talks. "Mr. President and I stated once again that strict compliance with the Minsk Accords should be the basis of a lasting and comprehensive settlement in southeastern Ukraine. In this context we discussed Russia’s initiative for creating a UN mission in Ukraine to ensure the safety of OSCE monitors in the zone of the conflict."

The Russian president noted that Steinmeier was well-informed about the Ukraine settlement.

"Being [Germany’s] foreign minister, he [Steinmeier] offered some solutions which are directly linked to his name," Putin said. "I hope they will be implemented in the future work."

In 2015, in a bid to find a way out of the deadlock when Kiev was blocking a law granting special status to Donbass, which is envisaged by the Minsk agreements, former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested a special procedure of its enforcement.

Thus, special status should be granted to this region of Ukraine first on a temporary basis on the day of local elections there. Special status will be granted permanently after the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) publishes a report confirming the legitimacy of election results. The idea, known as the ‘Steinmeier formula’, was approved at by Normandy Four (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) meeting in Paris on October 2, 2015.

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