The future law on a special status for Donbas will be discussed both in the Normandy format (between France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia) and with Ukrainian society, and will only become a reality after being passed by parliament, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“We need to look at what it is, this special status law. So far, it was an understanding in the Minsk process, it was talked about, the law was passed, i.e., the special status law is currently in place until the end of this year, as you know. What it will be like – I’m repeating myself, but this is true – what it will be like afterward, this special status law, we do not know. We are ready to discuss these issues in the Normandy format and we are ready to discuss the terms of this special status law with the Ukrainian public,” Zelensky said in an interview with the Segodnia website in Tokyo.
“No one is going to betray Ukraine, there will be no capitulation, nothing,” he said. “And everyone understands that. In fact, a majority of people in Ukraine understand that. And all our European colleagues who have always, let’s say, supported us, both in the Minsk process and in rebuilding Ukraine, of our territories – they are all talking about it,” he said.
“No one is going to give up any territories and no one wants us to have a Transdniestria,” Zelensky said, adding that he was convinced that without diplomacy, negotiation, and discussion of terms, there is no way to resolve the Donbas war issue.
“Sitting at home or just talking, or thanks to mass media, or thanks to personal imagination, or simply speaking on talk shows – this issue cannot be solved like that. This issue will be solved when people talk at the highest level, when the Normandy Four talks. If Ukraine simply wants to meet no one, negotiate nothing, discuss nothing, resolution of the issue of ending the war is absurd. So, how is one to know all the terms? In order to know all the terms, they need to be discussed,” he said.
Regarding his meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Zelensky said, “No one realized why our former government representatives are, let’s put it this way, puzzled about how can one talk about the Steinmeier formula today, how can one try to make it a reality if the Normandy format has not worked since 2016.
“Everyone wants peace, everyone supports us, everyone also supports the disengagement of troops, of course, when there’s a truly normal, high level of security at those checkpoints or at those disengagement sites. Otherwise, no one would begin the disengagement. That’s why everyone supports Ukraine, wants Ukraine to regain the territories, its citizens. We will work together,” he said.
