Russian representatives' rhetoric has slightly softened with respect to the situation in Donbas, but remains unchanged on key positions, Ukrainian parliament member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction Vadym Denysenko has said.

Denysenko drew attention to the concept aired by Boris Gryzlov, the Russian representative in the Trilateral Contact Group, that "the Donbas problem is an issue of Ukraine and Donbas" when speaking at an Interfax press conference in Kyiv about the recent interview of the Russian politician with Russian media.

"All in all, Gryzlov said nothing new. Russia's rhetoric has slightly changed, becoming softer. Instead of the 'militiamen' and 'self-proclaimed republics', these entities are referred to as 'Donbas' of a kind. But on the key positions, Russians continue to stick to their old postulates, the main of which is that Russians are not ready to give Ukraine control over the border," Denysenko said.

"Until Ukraine is given control over the border, until then, I suppose, there is no use talking of any negotiations like Minsk II or Minsk III," he said.

Gryzlov said earlier in an interview with Russia's Kommersant that the parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine are Kyiv and Donbas.

Gryzlov explained that the question of holding local elections in Donbas is an important item on the agenda of the Contact Group.