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Settlement talks without Donbass are futile - DPR leader

Zakharchenko said that the format of talks without participation of the self-proclaimed republic cannot be considered as full

DONETSK, November 29. /TASS/. Talks on the settlement of the situation in Donbass are futile without participation of representatives from the self-proclaimed republics, Head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Alexander Zakharchenko said on Tuesday commenting on the Normandy Four ministerial meeting in Minsk.

"Kiev is not going to implement the Minsk agreements. It is set to continue the war with us. And only external factors are restraining it. First of all, the position of Europe and especially the United States," Zakharchenko said in a statement cited by the Donetsk News Agency.

According to Zakharchenko, now that Kiev’s contacts with the West have weakened, two scenarios of developments in Donbass are possible. "Kiev will either resume combat operation in a span of time before the inauguration [of United States’ President-elect Donald Trump - TASS] or it will plunge into tough political process and it will have more pressing things to deal with than us," he noted.

He underscored that the format of talks without participation of the self-proclaimed republic cannot be considered as full. "How can it be possible for the two sides to try to reach an agreement when one of the sides takes no part in the conversation? So, it looks like three parties to the Normandy Four format are trying to persuade the forth to agree on peace," the DPR leader added.

"The conclusion is that neither Donbass’ nor Ukraine’s future could be decided without Donbass," he underscored.