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Putin calls for soonest completion of disengagement of forces in Donbass

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also welcomed the completion of the disengagement of forces near Petrovskoye and Zolotoye

Russian President Vladimir Putin Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin

© Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

BRASILIA, November 14. /TASS/. Disengagement of forces in Ukraine should be completed along the whole contact line as soon as possible in order to prevent casualties, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Thursday, commenting on the completion of the disengagement of forces in Petrovskoye and Zolotoye.

"Disengagement should be completed along the whole contact line, so that cannons are not used, and people don't die. This should definitely be done as soon as possible," Putin said.

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He also welcomed the completion of the disengagement of forces near Petrovskoye and Zolotoye. "It is good that forces were disengaged in those two places, and we welcome that — both the actions of Ukrainian authorities and unrecognized republics," Putin said.

"However, some ambiguity emerges here, as [Ukrainian] foreign minister, if I am not mistaken, said that Ukraine may give up the Minsk Agreements completely," he added. "What does this even mean? What will we discuss in the Normandy format then?" Putin wondered.

"We see statemenent by officials that other armed units — police and National Guards — may return to the zone where heavy weaponry was withdrawn. In that case, DPR and LPR self-defense forces will do the same," Putin said. "Is this necessary if forces were already withdrawn? I don't think that it is," he added.

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