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DPR envoy fears Kiev’s violation of Minsk deals may escalate conflict

MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. Kiev’s violation of the Minsk agreements of February 12 could trigger a new round of the conflict, the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic’s envoy to the Contact Group, Denis Pushilin, said on Saturday.

"The Ukrainian side fails partially or fully to abide by all points of the Minsk agreements," Pushilin told the Donetsk News Agency, saying "the threat of an active phase of a war in Ukraine is rather high".

On February 12, marathon negotiations in the so-called "Normandy format" were held in the Belarusian capital Minsk, bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Simultaneously, a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukrainian settlement was held in Minsk.

As a result, the Minsk agreements were signed that envisage ceasefire in Ukraine’s south-east, heavy weaponry withdrawal, prisoner exchange, local elections in Donbass and constitutional reform in Ukraine.

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Ukraine crisis Eastern Ukraine

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