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Russia, US agree to continue dialogue on implementing Minsk accords — source

The discussion will include the position stated by the US President about the need to grant Donbass a special status to end the conflict

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried Maxim Grigoryev/TASS

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried

© Maxim Grigoryev/TASS

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Russia and the United States agreed to continue the dialogue on implementing the Minsk agreements, taking into account US President Joe Biden’s position on the need to grant Donbass special status, a source involved in the talks said on Wednesday.

"The sides agreed to continue interaction in implementing the Minsk agreements, taking into account the position stated by US President [Joe] Biden at the Geneva summit about the need to grant Donbass a special status to end the conflict," said the source, who took part in the negotiations held between Russian Presidential Administration Deputy Head Dmitry Kozak and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried in Moscow on Wednesday.

The meeting lasted over two hours, the source added.

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Donfried held negotiations earlier on Wednesday with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov that lasted around 40 minutes.

The US Department of State said in a statement on December 11 that Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Donfried would pay a visit to Moscow and Kiev and then travel to Brussels. As the US Department of State specified, during her working trip, the Assistant Secretary would meet with senior government officials "to discuss Russia’s military buildup and to reinforce the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity."

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