DPR, LPR call for New Year truce in Donbas, but Kyiv denies that proposal
DONETSK/LUHANSK. Dec 19 (Interfax) - Envoys of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) have suggested introducing a truce in Donbas starting from December 22 to Ukraine, but the negotiators failed to reach an agreement at a meeting of the security subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for settlement of the Donbas crisis.
"We proposed introducing another ceasefire in Donbas starting from December 22, 2018, to Kyiv so that civilians on both sides of the contact line would be able to spend holidays in silence and tranquility," DPR Foreign Minister Natalya Nikonorova told reporters on Wednesday.
In general, the DPR and LPR envoys back the OSCE-sponsored TCG's draft joint statement on truce.
The meeting of the working subgroup of the security group is already over.
"The Ukrainian side refused to discuss the New Year truce in the group," LPR envoy to the subgroup Roman Ivanov said, quoted by the Luhansk information center as saying.
The TCG and its subgroups are holding their meetings in Minsk on Wednesday.