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Kiev uses another excuse to delay disengagement of forces in Donbass — official

Kiev earlier announced readiness to start the disengagement of forces on November 8 and put forward the condition on observing the ceasefire regime

Verkhovna Rada member Viktor Medvedchuk Dmitry Feoktistov/TASS Host Photo Agency

Verkhovna Rada member Viktor Medvedchuk

© Dmitry Feoktistov/TASS Host Photo Agency

MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. The condition on the seven-day observance of ceasefire before the disengagement of forces near Petrovskoye was set by Kiev and was not coordinated with other participants in the negotiations process on settling the situation in eastern Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada member from the Opposition Platform For Life party Viktor Medvedchuk told Rossiya-24 TV channel.

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It took Russia, OSCE serious efforts to begin disengagement in Donbass — Russia’s envoy

Medvedchuk reminded that last week, representatives of Donbass republics and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed readiness to start disengagement of forces near Petrovskoye on November 4. "Then the Ukrainian side says, 'No, there were shellings, and we think that there should be no shellings for seven days, and disengagement of forces may start only after that," he said.

"Who set this condition about seven days? Is this the position of the Ukrainian side? Yes. Was it coordinated with other interested parties, with Donetsk in this instance? No, it wasn't," Medvedchuk noted.

Kiev earlier announced readiness to start the disengagement of forces on November 8 and put forward the condition on observing the ceasefire regime. Medvedchuk said that the agreement on the seven-day ceasefire only pertained to the disengagement of forces near Stanitsa Luganskaya which was completed on June 30. "This is another excuse that makes me think that there will be new excuses for not starting the process on November 8," he noted.

The framework agreement on the disengagement of forces in Donbass was signed by representatives of Ukraine, self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), Russia and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in September 2016. The agreement envisaged the creationg of three security zones in Zolotoye, Petrovskoye and Stanitsa Luganskaya. The disengagement of forces in those areas was completed rather quickly, but Ukrainian forces later returned there.

Attempts to restart the process were launched in the summer of 2019, after Vladimir Zelensky was elected as Ukrainian president. On June 30, the sides completed the disengagement of forces near Stanitsa Luganskaya. The disengagement of forces near Zolotye started in October 29.

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