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No alternative to Minsk agreements, waiver would mean complete collapse - Peskov

Russian president’s press secretary stressed that "only the Minsk agreement" can help as it is the only document agreed by the parties to the conflict

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, January 21. /TASS/. There is no alternative to the Minsk agreements of February 12, 2015, known as the Minsk-2 package, on the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the Deistvuyushchiye Litsa (Political Actor) with Nailya Askar-zade program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

When asked what is to be done to settle the situation in Donbass, Peskov stressed that "only the Minsk agreement" can help as it is the only document agreed by the parties to the conflict. He drew attention to the fact that neither any of the parties to the conflict nor any guarantor nation (Russia, Germany and France) had ever said that the Minsk-2 package was not longer viable "as in the current situation it would mean an utter collapse."

"As no one can be sure that any new document can be agreed. And, naturally, bearing this in mind, the fact that there is no alternative to the implementation of the Minsk agreements is not a subject for discussion," Peskov stressed.

The Package of Measures, known as Minsk-2, envisaged a ceasefire between Ukrainian government forces and people’s militias in the self-proclaimed republics in Donetsk and Lugansk starting from February 15 and subsequent withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of engagement. The deal also laid out a roadmap for a lasting settlement in Ukraine, including local elections and constitutional reform to give more autonomy to the war-torn eastern regions.

These agreements however have not been implemented until now. The Ukrainian side has been dodging implementation of the package’s political provisions citing security problems as a reason. Ukraine has failed to carry out a constitutional reform, to enforce a law on the region’s special status and to pass a law on elections in Donbass. Instead, it insists on regaining control over the border with Russia, which is to take place only after the elections, as is envisaged by the Minsk agreements.