Russia demands detailed discussion of Donbass status on permanent basis – envoy

MINSK, November 15. /TASS/. Security issues should be considered simultaneously with discussions about a political solution to the conflict in Donbass, said Boris Gryzlov, Russia’s Plenipotentiary Representative to the Contact Group seeking a peace solution to the conflict in east Ukraine.

"Our stance remains consistent, stemming from the Minsk accords: security issues should be considered simultaneously with the political solution," he said.

"With that in mind, we insist that comprehensive discussion is needed about a law on Donbass’ special status on the permanent basis according to the ‘Steinmeier formula’."

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.