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Russian foreign ministry refuses to comment on DPR’s intent to integrate with Russia

Russia abides by the Minsk Agreements where "everything is recorded," the Russian diplomat responded
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Gavriil Grigorov/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Gavriil Grigorov/TASS

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry has refused to comment on the statement made by the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin, in which he states the republic’s intent to integrate with Russia. Moscow is in favor of adhering to the Minsk Agreements on this issue, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during Thursday’s briefing.

"To my mind, Russia should not respond to all statements that are made, and they are made daily due to this being a sensitive issue. We rely on the primacy of the Minsk Agreements, where everything is recorded," she said in response to a request for comment on Pushilin’s statement.

The Minsk Agreements form the basis of peaceful regulation in Donbass. They include such measures as ceasefire, disengagement of forces and equipment, amnesty, reestablishment of economic ties, along with a deep constitutional reform in Ukraine, which should lead to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions acquiring special status within Ukraine. However, so far, this plan remains unimplemented, due to the Ukrainian side refusing to comply with the political points of the agreement, citing unregulated security issues. Besides, Ukraine insists on taking control over an area of the Russian border, although the Minsk Agreements establish that this can only take place after new elections in Donbass.