Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky assessed the possibility of postponing the negotiations on the Donbass from Minsk, saying in an interview with Ukraine 24 TV channel that he does not see any sense in this.
He explained that now, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all conversations take place in a video format and do not depend on the venue.
“It’s too early to talk about changing the city, and I think it’s wrong, especially now to do it. Minsk was proposed, founded, and these negotiations are taking place there. I don’t see any point in changing it,” Zelensky said and thanked all the countries that offered their platforms for communication.
Earlier, on August 13, it was reported that the Minsk talks on the Donbass may be moved to another place. The representative of Kiev in the Trilateral contact group (TCG), the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk admitted that Sweden could become the new platform. According to him, this will happen if the opportunity to conduct a dialogue in Minsk disappears.
Negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Donbas have been held in the capital of Belarus since 2014. In February 2015, Minsk hosted a meeting of the leaders of the “Normandy four” countries (Ukraine, Russia, France, Germany), which resulted in the adoption of the so-called Minsk agreements, which provide, in particular, for a cease-fire and an exchange of prisoners.
Protests in Belarus continue for the second week, they began after the announcement of the official results of the presidential election, according to which Lukashenko won more than 80 percent of the vote. Protesters are dispersed with rubber bullets, batons, water cannons, tear gas, and stun grenades. The protesters use flares, paving stones and Molotov cocktails.