You're reading: Rada faction leaders remain split over Russian language status, amnesty for east Ukraine protesters

The leaders of Ukrainian parliamentary factions have so far been unable to reach an agreement concerning the text of a memorandum pledging a peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine, Batkivschyna faction deputy chairman Serhiy Sobolev has said.

When asked by reporters on Friday morning whether a compromise on the
memorandum text has been achieved, Sobolev said: “No, it hasn’t. Right
now we are going [to a meeting on this issue with the parliamentary
speaker].”

Party of Regions MP Volodymyr Rybak, for his part, told reporters
that disagreements center mainly on the language issue and a proposed
amnesty for armed persons who are occupying administrative buildings in
the east of Ukraine.

The Party of Regions insists on holding a referendum on the language
issue, which, the party believes, can be resolved initially at the local
level, he said.

However, an agreement endorsing power decentralization and regions’ financial independence has been achieved, Rybak said.