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Russia and US to continue talks if status of Donbass agreed — official

According to Dmitry Kozak, the American side thoroughly and constructively addressed the Donbass conflict settlement and admitted that the Minsk agreements remained the only basis for the resolution

Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak

© Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

MOSCOW, October 13. / TASS /. Russia and the US will continue consultations on the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine if the agreement on special status of Donbass is reached, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Dmitry Kozak said on Wednesday following talks with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland held in Moscow.

"During the meeting, the US has confirmed its stance, voiced in Geneva, regarding the fact that it is hardly possible to resolve the conflict without defining the parameters of autonomy or, in other words, the special status of Donbass as part of Ukraine. If [the sides will find] a common ground, [they] continue mutual consultations," Kozak noted.

According to the Russian official, the American side "thoroughly and constructively addressed the Donbass conflict settlement." "[The US] admitted that the Minsk agreements remained the only basis for the resolution," Kozak mentioned.

The Donbass conflict’s peaceful settlement is based on the Minsk agreements, which stipulate a ceasefire, the withdrawal of weapons, amnesty and the resumption of economic ties. Furthermore, the deal envisages Ukraine enacting profound constitutional reform built on a dialogue with the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR).

However, the talks have stalled due to Kiev's refusal to comply with the ‘political points’ of the Minsk deal. In particular, Ukraine rejected direct dialogue with the DPR and LPR, opposed granting the region special status in the constitution and demanded to transfer the border section between Russia and Donbass to Kiev’s control.

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