Militias not to initiate escalation of armed conflict in Donbas themselves - Russian senator Klintsevich
MOSCOW. Feb 17 (Interfax) - The recent statement by the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, about the possibility of liberation of Ukraine-controlled Donbas areas by military means should not be taken literally, although Kyiv should pay attention to this warning, Franz Klintsevich, first deputy head of the Federation Council Defense and Security Committee said.
"The statement by the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, about readiness to take Kyiv-controlled parts of Donbas doesn't have to be taken literally. I'm pretty sure that the militiamen won't be initiating themselves any escalation of the military conflict in southeastern Ukraine," the Russian senator's press service quoted him as saying on Friday.
However, Klintsevich did not rule out that in the event hostilities continue in Donbas, "militiamen will not be confined to repelling massive attacks on the part of [Ukrainian] security forces, but will embark on a counteroffensive. They are quite well-placed for that," Klintsevich said.
"I believe that Kyiv should heed the warning aired by Alexander Zakharchenko. At the same time, we once again emphasize our commitment to the solely peaceful resolution of the Donbas conflict and we will make every effort for that," Klintsevich said.
Zakharchenko said earlier that militias are ready to employ military methods to liberate the Donbas areas controlled by Ukraine if this cannot be done politically.
