The administration of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic is skeptical about the proposal of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to hold a next round of consultations on the peace process in the east in Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region.
“I do not see how this is technically possible. Ukrainian gunmen are
in control of Sviatohirsk. We may simply not be able to return from
there. As to the security guarantees no one has given us any and any
guarantees in this country are doubtful,” Donetsk People’s Republic
First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Purgin told Interfax.
In turn, DPR Prime Minister Alexander Borodai proposed to hold the
consultations in a place, which would be safe for the militia.
“Certainly, we will discuss the proposal of [Ukrainian President]
Petro Poroshenko about holding the next round of consultations in
Sviatohirsk but I do not think we will be going there. This is not safe.
And any guarantees of Poroshenko related to the territory he does not
control are doubtful,” Borodai told Interfax on Tuesday.
He said a number of the safest places for the next round of
consultations were being discussed. “We are discussing Donetsk, any town
of Russia and Belarus. There are lots of places where the consultations
may be held equally safe for all partakers,” Borodai said.
Donetsk Mayor Alexander Lukyanchenko said after the July 7 meeting
with the Ukrainian president that Poroshenko had proposed the town of
Sviatohirsk in the Donetsk region as a venue of the next round of
consultations on the Donbas crisis resolution.
