The Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Ukraine could set up a working subgroup to deal specifically with the problem of that part of the border with Russia over which Ukraine has lost control, the Ukrainian side in the TCG said.

"The Ukrainian side is raising the issue of creating a separate working subgroup on the part of the Ukrainian-Russian border not controlled by Ukraine," Darka Olifer, a spokeswoman for Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's second president and Kyiv's representative in the TCG, wrote on her Facebook page on Friday after the TCG meeting in Minsk on Friday.

"The Ukrainian side expressed concern with the recent statement made by the Russian president at the Valdai forum about Russia not planning to hand over control over this part of the border to Ukraine," Olifer said.

Also on Friday, the Ukrainian side in the humanitarian subgroup handed over its proposals on hostage release to the representatives of the areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions temporary beyond Kyiv control, she said. Over the next few days the subgroup's coordinator from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Toni Frisch, will head to the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic to visit hostages and check on their prison conditions. "We hope this trip will help advance the process of liberating the people," Olifer said.

At the TCG and security subgroup meetings, Ukraine expressed its outrage at the aggression against, and limitation of freedom of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, namely: that on October 25 illegal armed groups in certain areas of Donetsk region threatened SMM staff with a heavy machinegun, she said. "We insist on full and unhindered access by the OSCE SMM to the whole of the certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including the non-controlled part of the Ukrainian-Russian border," Olifer said.

At the TCG meeting, Ukraine also accused Luhansk representatives of sabotaging the opening of a checkpoint in Zolote. Ukraine recognized Russia's right to influence on the separate areas of the Luhansk region for the sake of it honoring its part of the obligation to open the checkpoint, Olifer said.

"Settling the set of security issues remains an essential condition for further implementation of the entire package of the Minsk Agreements. In this context, a return to the dividing line established by the September 19, 2014 Memorandum, is also a matter of security and requires resolution. Under this Memorandum, Debaltseve must be under Ukraine's control; security zones should be created along the non-controlled part of the Ukrainian-Russian border; the areas around Sakhanka, Novoazovsk, Kumachove, Calmiuske must be free from heavy weaponry," Olifer said of the key issues discussed at the TCG meeting.

The fundamental issues, which should make the agenda of the political subgroup, are: a repeal of the Russian president's decree recognizing documents issued in the separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions; stopping the expropriation of Ukrainian assets and introduction of a ruble zone in said areas; and disavowing declarations of establishing a 'border'," she said.