Russian envoy to the Contact Group on the Ukrainian settlement, Boris Gryzlov, said that the DPR leader's proclamation of a new state called Malorossiya doesn't fit in the Ukrainian reconciliation process as part of the Minsk deal, adding that it "is not a subject of realpolitik."
"Zakharchenko's statement, made this morning on the topic of Malorossiya, is his personal initiative, Moscow learned about this from the media reports this morning. We remain committed to Minsk agreements," Peskov told journalists.
Following DPR's announcement, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko vowed to restore sovereignty over Donbass.
Germany and France condemned the move with Berlin calling the proposal "absolutely unacceptable" and Paris urging Russia to condemn the DPR's decision.