Zelensky invented a new tool to torpedo negotiations in Minsk
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky signed decree No. 167\2020 on changing the composition of the trilateral contact group in Minsk. Of the old members, only Leonid Kuchma and Alexey Reznikov remain.
The corresponding decree was published on the official website of the head of state, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
In addition to the head of the delegation, former President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, the TCG included:
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Alexey Reznikov (first deputy head of the delegation),
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation, People's Deputy Alexander Merezhko (Deputy Head of the Delegation),
Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Yulia Sviridenko (representative of Ukraine in the working subgroup on socio-economic issues),
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy, People's Deputy Andrey Kostin (representative of Ukraine in the working subgroup on political issues),
Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Polishchuk (representative of Ukraine in the working subgroup on security issues),
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans' Rights, People's Deputy Galina Tretyakova (representative of Ukraine in the working subgroup on humanitarian issues).
Rodion Miroshnik, special representative of the LPR at the negotiations on Donbass in Minsk, commented on the new appointments in his Telergam channel. In his opinion, in this way the Ukrainian president is trying to delay and sabotage the negotiation process.
“Zelensky decided to shake up the team of negotiators from Kyiv in the Minsk format.
Of the “old” ones, Leonid Kuchma, the plenipotentiary representative from Kyiv in the Contact Group, will remain, and Alexei Reznikov will be breathing down his neck. From a representative in the political subgroup, he rose to deputy plenipotentiary representative in the Contact Group.
This most likely means that Kuchma will delight the Contact Group with his presence only on anniversaries, and Reznikov will perform his duties during ordinary meetings.
All the others listed in the decree are new people in the Minsk negotiation process and therefore, obviously, will slow it down, at least for the next few meetings, until they read the Minsk agreements and learn “Poroshenko’s manuals.”
Everyone will have to endure several bouts of energetic attacks until the newly called up people develop a desire to move from cavalry attacks to constructive dialogue. If this is not found, then there will be just a new attempt to imitate vigorous activity for Western guarantors and nothing more.
Ultimately, the negotiating position is developed in the Office on Bankovaya, and there are no obvious changes there yet,” stated Miroshnik.
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