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Leader of self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic challenges Ukrainian president to duel

Igor Plotnitsky considers the duel a way to choose the winner in the confrontation of the self-defense forces with the Kiev government to stop the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine

Leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Igor Plotnitsky TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

Leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Igor Plotnitsky

© TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

LUHANSK, November 19. /TASS/. The leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Igor Plotnitsky, has challenged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to a duel in an effort to “put an end to the war.”

In an open letter to Poroshenko, Plotnitsky said the duel will choose the winner in the confrontation of the self-defense forces with the Kiev government to stop the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.

“Let’s follow the example of the ancient Slavic leaders and glorious Kazakh chiefs and clash in a fight. The one who wins will dictate the terms to the opposite side,” Plotnitsky said.

The LPR head suggests that the Ukrainian president should pick the venue for the duel himself and also offers him to select the weapon.

“I do not oppose a live broadcast on any TV channel, if you believe this is possible. It is up to you to choose the venue for the fight and the weapon. Each side has a right to bring 10 observers-seconds and 10 media representatives to ensure that the fight is fair,” he said.

Fierce clashes between troops loyal to Kiev and local militias in eastern Ukraine during Kiev’s military operation, conducted since mid-April, to regain control over the breakaway territories, which call themselves the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, have killed over 4,000 people.

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Ukraine crisis Eastern Ukraine Pyotr Poroshenko

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