Ukraine is trying to cling to existing disagreements
in order to avoid doing anything, DPR people’s council deputy chairman and
envoy to Contact Group Denis Pushilin says
MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. Kiev’s refusal to patrol the settlement of Shirokino jointly with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) disrupts the Minsk agreements, DPR people’s council deputy chairman and envoy to Contact Group Denis Pushilin said on Friday.
"In fact, it leads to disruption of any agreements. Ukraine is trying to cling to existing disagreements in order to avoid doing anything," Donetsk News Agency quoted Pushilin as saying.
Shirokino remains one of hot spots at the contact line in Donbas. On June 16, DPR authorities evacuated all residents from the settlement. ON July 1, DPR unilaterally announced demilitarization and withdrew all troops and weaponry from their positions there. On July 4, OSCE SMM deputy head Alexander Hug confirmed the withdrawal of all DPR units from Shirokino. DPR claims that the Ukrainian forces still remain at their positions in the region.
During telephone talks on July 23, the leaders of the "Normandy Quartet" (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) proposed to OSCE and JCCC (Joint Center for Control and Coordination) to develop "a practical resolution" for withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Shirokino by August 3.
Weaponry withdrawal
On July 18, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics (DPR and LPR) announced their plans to unilaterally withdraw heavy weaponry from the contact line.
DPR announced last week that it completed the withdrawal of weaponry of less than 100mm caliber from the contact line, leaving tanks only in "hot spots" to the north of Donetsk and in Debaltsevе. LPR also completed the withdrawal of weaponry from the contact line, leaving tanks and armored vehicles only on positions near the Schastye settlement.
On July 21, the Contact Group on Ukrainian settlement reached an agreement on gradual withdrawal of weaponry of less than 100mm caliber by both sides.
Source: ITAR-TASS
01-08-2015
