Everyone Backs Peace Plan "Logic" – Ukraine President

The Minsk talks were “very difficult” but all participants “backed the logic of the peace plan”, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko says.

Speaking at a briefing carried by Channel 5 TV, Poroshenko said, “The logic of the peace plan was backed by all the heads of state without exception. We insisted very firmly that in the first instance, agreement should be reached on ensuring peace and on freeing Ukrainian nationals unlawfully held by illegal armed groups.”

The president also said that agreement was reached on releasing Ukrainian citizens held unlawfully in the Russian Federation. He announced that the trilateral contact group [Russia-Ukraine-OSCE] would kick into action very soon, and that consultations had begun between border guards and between the chiefs of the general staffs.

Separately, the next round of talks on energy matters are slated for September 6, involving European Union energy commissioner Günther Oettinger plus Russia and Ukraine.  

This article republished from Ukrainska Pravda with kind permission.

Original article in Russian and Ukrainian.