MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma did a lot to make sure that Kiev implements its obligations under the Minsk Agreements, Russian Presidential Envoy to the Contact Group on resolving the situation in Donbass Boris Gryzlov said, commenting on Kuchma’s decision to step down as head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Minsk talks.
"Fairly speaking, Leonid Kuchma did a lot to make sure that Ukraine implements its obligations under the Minsk Agreements," Gryzlov pointed out. "The process is clearly far from over, particularly as far as the political provisions are concerned. However, the approval of additional measures to monitor the ceasefire in Donbass, which was the last of the Contact Group’s moves that involved Kuchma, is an important step in the right direction," he added.
The Russian envoy emphasized that "it was him who signed the Minsk Agreements on behalf of Ukraine." "He took an active part in creating and promoting the infrastructure of negotiations between Kiev and Donbass," Gryzlov said.
"Leonid Kuchma and Donbass representatives clearly had different views," he noted. "But unlike some other Ukrainian politicians, Leonid Kuchma understood the danger of Kiev’s military gambles and did not support the idea of undermining the talks," the Russian envoy explained. According to him, "Kuchma’s political experience and personal authority helped contain the Kiev warmongers and sometimes prevent tensions from escalating."
Gryzlov stressed that "if Kiev abides by the ceasefire, it will create conditions for further steps to resolve the crisis in Ukraine."
The Ukrainian presidential office announced Kuchma’s decision to leave the Contact Group following his meeting with the incumbent president. Zelensky named Kuchma as his envoy to the Contact Group on June 3, 2019.
Kuchma earlier served as presidential envoy to the Contact Group in 2014-2018. However, he stepped down in the fall of 2018, citing his old age (Kuchma turned 80 in August 2018). He was Ukrainian president in 1994-2005.