Razumkov calls 'red lines' for new law on special status for Donbas

He said this live on the Ukraina television channel on Sunday, October 6, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Getting back to the red lines, the key issue is the issue of elections. Elections can be held only under Ukrainian law, and this is one of the red lines we talked about. The second issue is that elections can take place only when there are no machine guns, tanks, other weapons because all this does not allow holding elections. When they reach the security component about which all politicians and, first of all, the president and I, representatives of our political party, are talking about, then we will be able to hold elections in the temporarily occupied territory only under Ukrainian law. When we have control over the border, when the OSCE recognizes these elections, that's when a so-called new law on a special status for Donbas will come into force," Razumkov said.

He stressed that no one would violate the "red lines" that were mentioned earlier because the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine depend on them.

"We really understand that the so-called law on a special status for the temporarily occupied territories ends this year. And we need to find a new mechanism, a new law, and the president said that it would be a public position, that it would not be written in the Office of the President or in a closed committee of the Verkhovna Rada. This law will be written together with society because this issue is very important to the whole state," Razumkov said.

According to him, in order for anyone not to think that the new law on a special status for will provide for the federalization of Ukraine, it must be developed with the involvement of experts, the public, the Verkhovna Rada, the Office of the President, as well as foreign partners.

"Thus, in this discussion, we will receive a high-quality bill that will be considered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in public. A public discussion should be present in this matter. Remaining within the 'red lines' from which we started our conversation, we will be able to draft the legislation that will help preserve the interests of the state and return territories and people," Razumkov said.

He also expressed hope that talks in the Normandy format would give impetus, which will help get out of the deadlock. Razumkov also noted that during the disengagement of troops from the contact line, security would be maintained at the expense of the National Guard and law enforcement officers.

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