U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has said that re-integration of areas of Donbas to Ukraine could happen if the Minsk agreements are implemented by Ukraine and Russia, although it is hard for Kyiv to implement all provisions of the agreement due to Russia’s hostilities.
Ultimately, we want the residents of Donbas to live in safety, that the economy is restored there, that they have the opportunity of taking care of themselves and their families, that the state provides all the necessary services and that people return to normal life, he said in an interview with BBC Russian.
Asked whether he believes that this will happen during the presidency of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Volker expressed the opinion that this can certainly happen, there is no doubt about that. However, it will require Russia to withdraw its troops and that the so-called self-proclaimed republics ceased to exist so that the normal work of the Ukrainian municipal structures would be restored, he said.
At the same time, according to him, the Ukrainian side will have to fulfill its part of the Minsk agreements. Ukrainians must fulfill their part, which implies respecting the ceasefire, although now it is difficult for them to implement it, because Russia is fighting on the other side of the front line; and the territories should be given a special status, as stated in the Minsk agreements, the U.S. special representative said.
He also expressed the hope that there would be a return to the issue of the UN peacekeeping mission, because it could become a necessary transit mechanism, allowing us to guarantee the implementation of the Minsk agreements by all sides.
Asked about whether he considers the idea of Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky to swap prisoners using the principle of “realizing everyone” feasible, Volker said that it would be amazing. This is the step that Ukraine has consistently proposed under President Poroshenko. The Russian side never wanted to carry out a full exchange of prisoners. He said that he thinks that for Russia it would be a good gesture to release the Ukrainian sailors detained in international waters in the Kerch Strait in November 2018.
In addition, in his opinion, then a swap of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia could follow.
There are a number of proposals, in particular, a long ceasefire that would last longer than anything that has been up to now. Further withdrawal of heavy weapons would also be a very good step. Another step forward would be to ensure a truly safe passage through several existing checkpoints across the contact line and much more that was discussed earlier, but has never been fulfilled. Perhaps now there is a chance to come back to this, he said.
Speaking about the possibility of introducing new sanctions by the United States in response to Putin’s decree on simplifying the granting of Russian citizenship to residents of certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Volker said that the United States is concerned and sees it as a provocation, which is precisely contrary to the plan for the reintegration of these territories back to Ukraine, as stated in the Minsk agreements. He said that he does not rule out anything in the future, but so far no decisions have been made on this issue.
He believes that mass resettlement of people from Ukraine to Russia will not follow.
