Ukraine and separatists begin final phase of troop withdrawal

(Patria) – The Ukrainian army and separatists supported by official Moscow began the final phase of troop withdrawal on Saturday.

The long-awaited withdrawal from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions is a prerequisite for the first negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

The leaders of Germany and France will mediate their meeting in Paris, for which a date has not yet been agreed upon.

The OSCE is monitoring the withdrawal, which could last several days.

Since taking office in May, Ukrainian President Zelensky has sought to establish dialogue with Putin with the aim of reviving the peace process to end the five-year conflict.

Let us recall that the war in eastern Ukraine began a month after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, claiming around 13,000 lives.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of financing and providing military support to the separatists, which Russia denies.

Russia currently accepts the proposal for a summit in Paris but refuses to set a date. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow 'wants the summit as soon as possible, but we believe it must be well-organized to produce the necessary results.' He also said it was 'too early to say' whether it would be held this year at all, as 'many issues' remain unresolved.

Ukrainian President's peace plan, which includes troop withdrawal, has been fiercely criticized by Kyiv, especially by war veterans and nationalists.

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators, as well as representatives of the separatists, have agreed on a plan that includes special status for the disputed territories on the condition that they hold free and fair elections in accordance with the Ukrainian constitution, writes Euronews.