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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Donetsk militias ready to cease fire if Kiev reciprocates - Donetsk republic PM

“The military situation has now changed not in Kiev’s favour. We hope that our humane initiatives will be heard this time,” the self-proclaimed DPR Prime Minister said

© ITAR-TASS / Zurab Javahadze, File

DONETSK, September 03 /ITAR-TASS/. Militias in the south-east of Ukraine are ready to cease fire if the Ukrainian army takes a similar step, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko said on Wednesday.

He said the so-called “counter-terrorism operation” in the south-eastern regions known as Donbass involved not only the regular Ukrainian army but also the National Guard, the nationalistic Right Sector and private battalions.

“They have foiled agreements many times before,” Zakharchenko said.

The DPR government has repeatedly stated its readiness to cease fire to prevent civilian casualties, but Kiev only demanded that the militias lay down arms and surrender.

“The military situation has now changed not in Kiev’s favour. We hope that our humane initiatives will be heard this time,” the prime minister said.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a peace plan for settling the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

He outlined the plan while speaking with journalists at the end of his working visit to Mongolia.

In order to stop the bloodshed and stabilise the situation in southeast Ukraine, I believe that the parties to the conflict should immediately agree on and coordinate the following steps:

1. End active offensive operations by armed forces, armed units and militia groups in southeast Ukraine in the Donetsk and Lugansk areas.

2. Withdraw Ukrainian armed forces units to a distance that would make it impossible to fire on populated areas using artillery and all types of multiple launch rocket systems.

3. Allow for full and objective international monitoring of compliance with the ceasefire and monitoring of the situation in the safe zone created by the ceasefire.

4. Exclude all use of military aircraft against civilians and populated areas in the conflict zone.

5. Organise the exchange of individuals detained by force on an ‘all for all’ basis without any preconditions.

6. Open humanitarian corridors for refugees and for delivering humanitarian cargoes to towns and populated areas in Donbass - Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

7. Make it possible for repair brigades to come to damaged settlements in the Donbass region in order to repair and rebuild social facilities and life-supporting infrastructure and help the region to prepare for the winter.

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Eastern Ukraine

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