The settlement of the conflict in the Donbas came to a dead end. Ukraine States that negotiations for peace are going only with Russia, whose aggression it is, as argued in Kiev, opposed. Moscow, who considers himself a facilitator, and not a party to the conflict, warns that if the Ukrainian side persists, the Russian negotiators will go to silent monitor the process in the tripartite contact group.Negotiations on settlement of the situation in the East of Ukraine, the main platform of reference which is the trilateral contact group (TAG), finally stood up. This year the parties will not step moved any political issues like special status for separate districts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions (ORDA), nor in matters of security, such as the breeding of the forces of the conflicting parties.Finally buried and seemed to be a breakthrough initiative to create within the TAG Advisory Council with representatives ORDO. On the establishment of the Council of 11 March in Minsk during a personal meeting agreed Deputy head of the Kremlin administration Dmitry Kozak and the head of the office of the Ukrainian President Andrey Ermak. In Kiev, this agreement was criticized right Pro-European opposition and nationalists who regarded it as an attempt to bring into direct contact the official Kiev and representatives of the unrecognized republics.Now from the topic of establishing an Advisory Board, distanced himself and the Ukrainian authorities. That the question is closed, it was announced after a visit to Germany, the Ukrainian government delegation. Recall that in Berlin to discuss, including the situation in the Donbass on 2 June flew Andriy Yermak, head of the foreign Ministry and the defense Ministry Dmitry Kuleba and Andrei Taran, and also the head of the Ministry of reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories Alexey Reznikov. Mr. Reznikov is also the Deputy head of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks in Minsk, where he was responsible including the harmonization of the format of the talks and the selection of their participants.Back in Kiev, Oleksiy Reznikov said the Agency “UKRINFORM” the loss of relevance of the proposal to organize a consultative Council with participation of representatives of unrecognized republics of the Donbass. He referred in this that in the Protocol, fixing arrangement on creation of the Council, contained a clause that his appearance must be preceded by negotiations with Germany, France and the OSCE. And reminded Mr. Reznikov, “No response from the German side, from French, from OSCE. Therefore, this issue is already impractical. Forget and move on”.It was planned that the Advisory Board will consist of not associated with the self-proclaimed leadership of the LC and the DNI residents ORDO on the one hand and representatives of Ukrains on the other. It was assumed that in the course of meetings of the Board, the parties could develop guidance for the main contact group in Minsk.The interlocutor of Kommersant, close to the office of the President of Ukraine, said that the reason for the rejection of the establishment of the Advisory Board of steel as the continued shelling positions of Ukrainian troops from the territory ORDO and active rejection of the possibility of starting negotiations with representatives of the breakaway republics the Ukrainian community.If after coming to power of President Vladimir Zelensky, Kiev initially did not show a clear unwillingness to negotiate with the DNI and the LC, now the line of the Ukrainian side lies in the fact that representatives of the unrecognized republics should be ignored. Negotiations, often repeated by the Minister Kuleba, you should lead only with Russia, as the Ukraine is opposed to armed conflict in the East. The refusal of direct negotiations with DND and LNR, he called principled position.”Ukraine will not cross the red lines of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will not go into a direct dialogue with the occupying authorities. We’re not going to invented by the Kremlin federalization. We will not give up in the issues of border, withdrawal of Russian troops, the disbanding of the occupying administrations. We never go to any special status for the Russian scenario with the right to veto national decisions, and other requirements that undermine our sovereignty,” said Mr. Kuleba after talks in Berlin, which he praised as productive.He also stressed the commitment of the Ukrainian authorities the goal of returning control over ORDA and over the Crimea, saying that sooner or later Ukraine will restore its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.The head negotiators of the NPT Natalia Nikonorova said “Kommersant”: “the Ukrainians found a formal occasion and again refused from his own words and signed documents. This is another confirmation of the unwillingness of Ukraine to engage in direct dialogue with the people living in the republics, and the fulfilment of the undertaken obligations”.In Moscow, the approach Kiev is also considered an attempt to reformat the whole negotiation process on the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Final refusal to establish an Advisory Council, the interlocutor of Kommersant with the Russian side, close to the negotiations in the contact group, commented: “We learned that any agreement with Ukraine is not worth anything”.Another informed on the progress of negotiations with Kiev interlocutor “” has warned: can result in the fact that the talks will fall completely. Especially if Ukraine, as it previously promised, will eventually include the TAG self-selected representatives ORDO of those who left the conflict zone in Kiev-controlled territory. “Kiev has toughened up the rhetoric, was all to say that Russia is a party to the conflict only with Russia, he will speak and nobody else— said the interlocutor of Kommersant.— If this approach continues, one way out: we will move on in the TAG in the category of observers and become silently observe the process.”Matthew Shimanov, Kiev; Vladimir Solovyev, Kirill Krivosheev
