Verkhovna Rada First Deputy Chairperson, Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group's humanitarian subgroup Iryna Gerashchenko has said the "peace plan for Ukraine" of Martin Sajdik, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Representative in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for Donbas, is his own initiative and recommended he apply himself to the issue of releasing Ukrainian hostages held by Russia.

"We, the participants of the Minsk groups, read with amazement that OSCE Special Representative Martin Saidik, instead of focusing on the direct duties of the coordinator and making maximum efforts for the constructive work of the Minsk groups, has put out a 'peace plan for Ukraine,' for some reason, in an Austrian newspaper. He should stop fearing the Russians and promote real progress in security matters. ... This is his personal initiative. He has no mandate from the OSCE or TCG to engage in these activities," she said on Facebook on Wednesday.

Gerashchenko said Sajdik and the other OSCE coordinators should focus efforts on releasing Ukrainian hostages.

"Sajdik has not been able to fulfill the demand of the Ukrainian side for a long time to hold a joint meeting of the TCG and the humanitarian subgroup on the issue of the release of hostages," she said, adding that on the eve of today's TCG meeting she had sent another letter to Sajdik asking whether there has been a response from Russian TCG representatives to Ukrainian proposals to arrange a prisoner swap.

Gerashchenko said the existing Minsk agreements are grossly violated by the OSCE member state – Russia.

"That is why - and only for this reason - the war continues in Donbas," she said.

Regarding Sajdik's so-called plan, Gerashchenko said: "We have a peace plan. President Petro Poroshenko promulgated it, and not in an Austrian newspaper, but from a podium at the United Nations. We have long advocated the introduction of a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas. The initiative is blocked by one country – Russia."