Ukraine initiates unblocking of checkpoints in Donbas, exchange of detainees

The Ukrainian delegation to the TCG announced this on its Facebook page on Thursday, November 19.

"We propose convening extraordinary meetings of the TCG working subgroup on security, the TCG working subgroup on political affairs and the TCG working subgroup on humanitarian affairs. We assure you of our readiness to work 24/7 to expedite the consideration of issues that have been on the agenda of the relevant working subgroups of the TCG for many months, and to make sure that the Trilateral Contact Group could take respective decisions, including on unblocking the work of entry-exit checkpoints and the detainee exchange," the statement reads.

The Ukrainian delegation expressed hope that the Russian side understands the degree of responsibility for the disruption of international agreements reached at the Normandy Four summit in Paris on December 9, 2019.

The Ukrainian delegation also recalled that the foreign ministers of France and Germany and OSCE representatives had called on the Russian side to open entry-exit checkpoints for the movement of transport and people as soon as possible.

The Ukrainian side put forward its proposals on how to resolve technical issues and continues to insist on the start of humanitarian demining.

In addition, the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG, Leonid Kravchuk, also called for the return home of all detainees for the Christmas and New Year holidays, which would be an example of high morale and responsibility of the participants, a sign of their desire to agree on other positions.

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