MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Any potential diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Donbass would be tantamount to political suicide for Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Alexey Danilov, said in an interview with the Ukrinform news agency, published Thursday.

"If someone wants to see the political suicide of our president, he can make it happen," Danilov said, responding to a question about the possibility of using diplomatic means to resolve the conflict in Donbass.

After the coup d'·tat in Ukraine in February 2014, the residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions who refused to recognize the new authorities launched mass protests. In April of that year, Ukraine’s acting president, Alexander Turchinov announced the start of a military operation in the southeast of the country. By the summer it escalated into full-scale combat operations involving heavy armored vehicles and aircraft. Subsequently, the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics were established.

As he took office, Zelensky vowed to restore peace to Ukraine. However, Kiev continued to stall the negotiation process. The intensity of shelling in Donbass soared. By February 17, 2022, tensions on the line of engagement turned white-hot. On February 24 of last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a special military operation following a plea for help from the leaders of the Donbass republics.