MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. The self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics (LPR and DPR) are ready to remain part of Ukraine for the sake of ending hostilities in Donbas, LPR plenipotentiary representative in the Contact Group on Ukraine Vladislav Deinego said Tuesday while commenting on new proposals from the LPR and DPR on amendments to the Ukrainian constitution.

"The fact that Luhansk and Donetsk are ready to meet the Kiev authorities halfway was announced not now by our proposals for the constitution, and not even in the winter. It was announced by the republics back in September last year at the first meeting in Minsk," LuganskInformCenter quoted Deinego as saying.

"The documents signed September 5 [last year] stipulate movement in that direction. Back then, despite military successes of the militia, for the sake of stopping bloodshed, the republics agreed to such a huge compromise and to remain part of Ukraine as independent entities," he said.

"It seems unthinkable, but people who seized power in Kiev are not ready to meet halfway our integration back into Ukraine by means of decentralization. Nevertheless, we are still ready for peaceful constructive dialogue and continuation of that process," Deinego said.

On Monday, DPR and LPR representatives sent coordinator of the Contact Group's political working subgroup from the OSCE Pierre Morel additional proposals regarding draft amendments to the Ukrainian constitution.

In particular, they suggest stipulating that the Ukrainian law "On a special procedure of local self-rule in certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions" be valid without time limits. It is also suggested that the function of ending the powers of chief executives of certain districts with a special status in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions be solely in the jurisdiction of those regions.

It is also suggested that the function of ending the powers of chief executives of certain districts with a special status in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions be solely in the jurisdiction of those regions.

Kiev has regularly violated the ceasefire regime imposed as part of the Package of Measures on implementation of the September 2014 Minsk agreements. The Package (Minsk-2) was signed on February 12, 2015 in the Belarusian capital Minsk by participants of the Contact Group on settlement in Donbas.

The Package, earlier agreed with the leaders of the Normandy Four (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) first of all envisions an overwhelming cessation of fire and withdrawal of heavy armaments to create a security area in the region at least 50 kilometers wide.

The constitutional reform and decentralization of power in Ukraine are also among the document’s key provisions. The renewed fundamental law should enter into force by the end of this year. The Package of Measures stipulates the holding, in districts with a special status, of local elections, agreed with representatives of the region and corresponding to OSCE standards.