Ukraine rules out possibility of attack on Donbass

Ukrainian troops in the Donbass region. Photo: Ukrainian Ministry of Defense

Ukrainian President's press secretary Yulia Mendel said that Ukraine is not planning an attack on Donbass.

"The problem is that Ukraine simply cannot attack its own territory and cannot fight its own people," said Yulia Mendel.

According to Ms. Mendel, Kiev has a "firm belief" that only concrete agreements can lead to peace. That is why Ukraine is trying to reach the "Normandy Four" agreement, and moving towards peace through diplomatic channels.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Zelensky, after visiting the armed forces in Donbass, made a statement about the need for a new ceasefire in the region. At the same time, the Ukrainian leader linked stability in the region with Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ruslan Khomchak said, the use of force to "liberate" Donbass is unacceptable for the Kiev authorities, as it is fraught with casualties among civilians and soldiers.

Meanwhile, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, earlier said that Ukraine was ready for a full-scale war. He noted that now the most acute stage of the line of contact in Donbass in recent years has come.

For his part, Russian President Dmitry Peskov's press secretary called the situation in eastern Ukraine very dangerous, because "a civil war is about to re-emerge there." At the same time, Mr. Peskov also emphasized that no one wants war with Ukraine.

The conflict in Donbass has lasted for seven years, killing 13,000 people. The resolution process is being discussed at meetings in Minsk. Accordingly, the "Normandy Four" has approved a ceasefire, but military clashes continue in Donbass.