Translated by Ollie Richardson

16:08:27
28/11/2017

timer-odessa.net

The Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov considers that another format of settling the situation in Donbass must replace the Minsk Agreements.

“I consider that the Minsk Agreements are dead, and it’s already not worth talking about them,” said Avakov during the expert forum “Ukraine: striving for balance”.

The minister emphasised that the Minsk Agreements “already played a role”, however now they aren’t compatible with the interests of Ukraine.

In particular, according to him, the law on the special status of certain districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions adopted within the framework of the Minsk Agreements shouldn’t be entered into force. “No people’s militias, no additional courts, everything should be exclusively in the legislative and legal environment of Ukraine,” stressed Avakov.

Concerning the peacekeeping mission, it, according to Avakov, must help Ukraine to return control over the territories of the unrecognised DPR and LPR. “Peacekeepers, together with Ukrainian forces, should be on the internationally recognised border of Ukraine. All units of the Russian Federation should leave the territory of Ukraine, and take away with themselves all these semi-bandit organisations,” explained Avakov.

He also emphasised that amnesty provided by the Minsk Agreements shouldn’t extend to participants of the conflict or figures of the unrecognised republics. However, as a gesture of good will, Avakov suggests not to subject to criminal prosecution persons who for one reason or another forcedly cooperated with the authorities of the DPR and LPR. “If people cooperated with local administrations, forcedly or by weakness, one way or another, then here there should be our will for reconciliation, and we have to determine that we have turned this page,” stressed the minister.

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