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Reintegration bill reveals Kiev’s support for crimes in east Ukraine — Russian diplomat

Russia’s OSCE envoy described the law as "logical continuation of Kiev's escalation policy in south-east of Ukraine"

Russia’s OSCE envoy, Alexander Lukashevich Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Russia’s OSCE envoy, Alexander Lukashevich

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

VIENNA, February 21. /TASS/. The signing of the Donbass reintegration bill proves that Kiev supports military crimes committed in eastern Ukraine by pro-government and nationalist forces, Russia’s OSCE envoy, Alexander Lukashevich, said on Wednesday.

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Ukrainian president signs Donbass reintegration law

"Petr Poroshenko's signing Donbass' 'reintegration' law is a logical continuation of Kiev's escalation policy in south-east of Ukraine," the Russian Permanent Mission to the OSCE quoted Lukashevich as saying in an English-language statement on its Twitter page. "Having signed Donbass' 'reintegration' law, president Poroshenko confirmed Kiev's orientation on resolution of internal Ukrainian conflict by force."

"Donbass' 'reintegration' law contradicts spirit and letter of the Minsk 'Package of Measures', endorsed by UNSC resolution 2202, confirms Ukrainian state's support of the UAF [Ukrainian Armed Forces - TASS] and radical-nationalists' crimes," the statement reads.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian president signed into law a bill dubbed "On certain aspects of state policy aimed at ensuring Ukraine’s state sovereignty over temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions," which is known as the Donbass reintegration law. The document will enter into force on the day of its publication.

The document claims the areas not controlled by Kiev to be "temporarily occupied" and gives the president the right to use the armed forces inside the country without the parliament's consent. It also provides for setting up joint operation headquarters of the Ukrainian armed forces to control all military units and military-civil administrations in the conflict zone. In addition, all references to the Minsk Agreements were removed from the document.

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