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Kiev’s envoy to Contact Group against changing format of talks on Donbass

"The experience of settling other conflicts on the post-Soviet space serves as evidence that even extended formats do not bring real results," Leonid Kuchma said
Kiev's envoy to Contact Group Leonid Kuchma Viktor Drachev/TASS
Kiev's envoy to Contact Group Leonid Kuchma
© Viktor Drachev/TASS

KIEV, December 15. /TASS/. Ukraine’s envoy to the Contact Group on the settlement of the crisis in eastern Ukraine Leonid Kuchma has spoken against changing the format of peace talks.

"Some critics of the Minsk negotiations process among former and current politicians have been vocal recently about the necessity to change the format of talks. In particular, they suggest involving the United States or other countries in the talks," Kuchma said in an interview with Ukraine’s Focus media. Such proposals "are not only naive from the point of view of implementing (the Minsk Agreements), they will also be harmful for the Minsk process," he added.

Kuchma said "the new format cannot appear solely by Ukraine’s desire." "At least the desire of those countries that we would like to see as participants in talks is necessary as well. For instance, if we are talking about the United States, they did not plan to get directly involved in talks on settling the situation in Donbass," he explained.

He also noted that "the experience of settling other conflicts on the post-Soviet space serves as evidence that even extended formats do not bring real results."