Ukrainian delegation to TCG in Donbas must adhere to exclusively official position of our state - Kravchuk, Reznikov, Merezhko
Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on the settlement of the conflict Leonid Kravchuk; first deputy head of the delegation, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov; and parliamentarian, deputy head of the delegation Oleksandr Merezhko do not approve of Vitold Fokin's resonant statements made in the parliament regarding the conflict in Donbas and the annexation of Crimea and are awaiting a proper assessment of these statements.
"The Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group receives with unpleasant surprise the news about the resonant statements of Mr. Fokin on the war in Donbas and Crimea, made in the Verkhovna Rada. Mr. Fokin, like any person, has the right to his own position, no matter how strange it may seem. But together, as a Ukrainian delegation in the negotiations in the TCG, we must adhere exclusively to the official position of our state, even when we do not participate in the negotiations. Moreover, it is very easy to adhere to the official position on the issues of the temporary occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas, since the official position of Ukraine completely coincides with the truth about the war," Kravchuk, Reznikov and Merezhko said.
According to them, the tasks set at the talks by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky are built on the understanding of Russia's complete control of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and therefore has a decisive influence on everything that happens there.
"We fully realize that Russia and its citizens brought the war to the territory of Ukraine. That is why, for example, negotiations with our participation are taking place in a trilateral format - Ukraine, the OSCE as a mediator and Russia as a state temporarily occupied part of our territory," the heads of the TCG noted.
They added that they seek to find solutions that will lead to a sustainable peace through an absolute and long-term ceasefire, the release of all detainees, a complete de-occupation, the withdrawal of all illegal armed groups and the return of control to Ukraine over the border with Russia in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
They stressed that during all their work in the Trilateral Contact Group, Fokin had never made such statements and they had not seen any unpleasant diplomatic surprises.
"We consider it strange that Mr. Fokin, making such statements, did not take into account that he will be perceived not just as a citizen, expressing his point of view, but as a member of the Ukrainian delegation representing the state. Moreover, the conversation took place in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine," stressed the heads of the TCG.
They also await a proper assessment of Fokin's statements.