MINSK (Sputnik) — The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics in eastern Ukraine support the extension of peace talks in Minsk format through 2016 if the armed conflict in Donbass is not resolved this year, DPR and LPR envoys to Contact Group talks said on Tuesday.
"We fully support the initiative voiced by European Parliament President Martin Shultz, who proposed to extend for next year the existing conflict resolution format if the conflict is not resolved while the Minsk-2 agreement is in force, which is by the end of this year," Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego said in a joint statement following the latest round of Contact Group talks in Belarusian capital, Minsk.
The two envoys emphasized that Donetsk and Lugansk would continue implementing Minsk peace accords on their own even if Kiev refused to maintain a constructive dialogue with DPR and LPR.
