Yermak: Donbas peace plan is on the table

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, he said this during a webinar entitled "Conflict in Eastern Ukraine: Outlook for 2021," organized by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

"A specific peace plan, proposed by Germany and France and finalized by Ukraine, is now on the table, which we believe is in line with the spirit of the Minsk agreements and is in line with international law. […] I emphasize that the peace plan is on the table," Yermak said.

According to him, if Russia does not agree to the plan, "it means that it does not want to end the war and return peace to Donbas."

Yermak, who also serves as Ukraine's representative at the consultations in the Normandy format at the level of political advisers, said this was a "very powerful step" proposed by Germany and France. He expressed hope that the plan would be "the subject of a strong discussion in a week or two" during a videoconference in the Normandy format. The plan envisages the creation of so-called clusters, which could "become the basis for a roadmap that would help establish peace in Donbas, reintegrate occupied territories and hold local elections," Yermak said.

He called the ceasefire lasting for multiple months a major achievement in the Minsk process to date. Although, according to him, "unfortunately, [there were] elements and facts of provocations," which have critically increased in recent months. He recalled that Ukraine had lost 11 of its heroes and several dozen servicemen had been wounded.

"We believe that international signals to Russia about the need to maintain the [ceasefire] regime are a fundamental condition for continuing all other negotiations," Yermak said.

A number of ceasefire agreements have been reached since the beginning of the war in Donbas in 2014. The last agreement entered into force on July 27, 2020.

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