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DPR head says Zelensky gives no answer to his proposal to meet

In late April, Denis Pushilin called on the Ukrainian president to arrive at the contact line in Donbass "for a frank and open conversation" on the resolution of the conflict

KIEV, June 16. /TASS/. Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky has not responded to the invitation from Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), to hold a meeting for exploring solutions to the Donbass conflict, Pushilin told reporters on Wednesday.

"There was no response from Zelensky. That is predictable, as there is nothing to say. Leonid Ivanovich (Pasechnik, the head of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) - TASS) and I even suggested communicating with Zelensky in any format," the Donetsk news agency quoted Pushilin as saying.

The DPR head recalled that the Donbass republics had proposed making the Minsk talks public, but Kiev neglected that initiative.

"Ukraine has to dodge, wriggle out of and drag out the entire negotiation process," Pushilin stressed.

In late April, the DPR head called on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to arrive at the contact line in Donbass "for a frank and open conversation" on the resolution of the conflict. For his part, LPR head Leonid Pasechnik also said in late April about his readiness to meet Zelensky anywhere along the line of contact to discuss a peace solution to the Donbass conflict.

In an interview with The Financial Times Zelensky refused to hold talks with the Donbass republics.

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