22 January 2021, Friday, 13:37 149

Representative Of Donbas In TCG Kazanskyi Announces Participation Of Deputy Head Of Presidential Administration Of Russia Kozak In Meeting Of Group

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

The representative of certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), journalist Denys Kazanskyi, said that the deputy head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak took part in the meeting of the group, which is an extraordinary situation, since the representative of Russia in the TCG is Boris Gryzlov.

He wrote about this in his Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

“An extraordinary situation took place in the TCG today [January 21]. Dmitry Kozak came to the negotiations. Previously, he never took part in them (Russia is represented by Gryzlov), but today he rather unceremoniously pushed Gryzlov out of the frame and took his chair. Kozak was very irritated, spoke emotionally. As usual, he accused Ukraine of unwillingness to recognize militants as a party to the negotiations and demanded that we discuss the "road map" proposed by Russia through its puppets," Kazanskyi wrote.

He pointed out that Kozak's nerves are losing.

"Obviously, the bosses are demanding a result that does not exist," Kazanskyi added about the Russian representative.

The Ukrainian delegation to the TCG in its statement on the Telegram channel following the meeting did not indicate Kozak's participation, but stated that "during the videoconference, the other parties reminded the Russian side of a clear framework regarding the procedure and practice of consultations."

Thus, it is indicated that only those persons who are appointed by the heads of state - parties to the conflict, Ukraine and Russia, can be authorized representatives in the TCG.

It is about the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Leonid Kravchuk, and the representative of Russia in the group, Boris Gryzlov, other members of the official delegations of both countries and the authorized representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"The rest of the persons can participate only as consultants and experts on certain issues, no more," the Ukrainian delegation said in a statement.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on January 12, Kozak, commenting on the results of the meeting of political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Format countries (Germany, Russia, France, Ukraine), said that "there is nothing to boast about; (the advisers) exchanged views on all aspects of the settlement."