The 4th of July, 2014

Official Statement
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Donetsk People's Republic
Regarding Possible Steps Towards Peace

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPR in coordination with the Security Council of the DPR and the authorities of the Republic is authorized to make a statement in respect of Mr. Poroshenko's peace plan.

Proceeding form humanitarian principles and its adherence to the cause of peace, the Donetsk People's Republic agrees with some elements of this peace plan insofar it does not infringe with the will of the people of Donbass expressed at the referendum on the 11th of May, 2014, and puts forward additional peace initiatives.

In this connection we propose to Mr. Poroshenko to deliver an order to cease hostilities since 12:00 a.m., the fifth of July 2014. Such an order will provide conditions for renewing peace consultations in the city of Donetsk with the participation of representatives of Kiev and Moscow.

We call the established group of international mediators, first and foremost Russia, Germany, France and Poland to call Mr. Poroshenko to show his will to peace and to stop offensive military operations, and first and foremost, air, artillery and rocket strikes delivered against residential quarters of cities and villages that cause an ever growing number of victims among civilians.

On our part, we declare that should Kiev agree to cease fire, we on our part shall take any necessary actions to disengage our forces with the opposing side and withdraw them to a safe distance.

In this connection, we propose to the Kiev side to consent to direct contacts of the commanding officers of opposing troops, including those located in the area of the city of Slavyansk in order to agree upon the terms, distances and methods of disengaging those forces in the field to safe distances excluding further unprovoked military clashes of opposing forces and to agree upon the routes of humanitarian corridors so that civilians could leave the areas subjected to military strikes.

We call the OSCE Mission to take part in the monitoring of such humanitarian corridors (first and foremost in the areas of the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk) and to deploy their permanent observation post there. Since there are large numbers of wounded and sick persons among refugees, we call the Red Cross Mission to join the OSCE Mission. We call the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to dispatch its mission directly to the city of Slavyansk in order to monitor the situation there.

Proceeding from humane considerations, we request the above international organizations to address the Kiev authorities with a request to provide safe exit for civilians from the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk that suffer from the most powerful strikes delivered on part of the troops acting by orders from Kiev.

We presume that the international community will take efficient and sufficient measures to cease bloodshed and reach a secure and lasting peace.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Donetsk People's Republic

 

(Перевод Е. Цыпин)