MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th May, 2020) Representatives of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas ruled out a possibility of anchoring a special status of the conflict-torn eastern region in the Ukrainian constitution, the Office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
On Wednesday-Thursday, the Trilateral Contact Group held a video conference to discuss the settlement of the conflict in Donbas.
"The Ukrainian party once again ruled out a possibility of anchoring a special status of particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Ukrainian constitution," the office said in a statement on late Thursday.
Kiev launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk and Luhansk in 2014 after they refused to recognize the new Ukrainian government and proclaimed independence from the country. In the same year, the Trilateral Contact Group - composed of Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe - was established to resolve the conflict.
A ceasefire deal between warring parties was signed in Minsk a year later following talks brokered by the leaders of the Normandy four states: Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. Despite this agreement, however, sporadic fighting continues in Donbas.
