The leaders of the
self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine have publicly stated that under
certain conditions – meaning the implementation of the Minsk agreements – they
are ready to consider themselves part of the Ukrainian state, Russian President
Vladimir Putin said in an interview in an Italian newspaper on Saturday.
"This is a fundamental
issue. I think this position should be viewed as a sound precondition for the
start of substantial negotiations," he said, according to a transcript of
the interview published by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera and released by the Kremlin.
"The document we agreed upon in Minsk, called Minsk II, is the best
agreement and perhaps the only unequivocal solution to this problem. We would
never have agreed upon it if we had not considered it to be right, just and
feasible," he said.
Putin assured that Russia takes every effort, and will continue to do
so, in order to influence the authorities of the unrecognized self-proclaimed
Donetsk and Luhansk republics.
"The key aspect of the political settlement was to create
conditions for this joint work, but it was essential to stop the hostilities, to
pull back heavy weaponry. On the whole, this has been done. Unfortunately,
there is still shooting occasionally and there are casualties, but there are no
large‑scale hostilities, the sides have been separated. It is time to begin
implementing the Minsk agreements," he said.
"I would like to stress that Russia is interested in and will
strive to ensure the full and unconditional implementation of the Minsk
agreements, and I don't believe there is any other way to settle this conflict
today," he added.
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