Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group Leonid Kravchuk has bitten Russian delegation's head off at the regular TCG meeting on September 30, advising it not to put forward any ultimatums to Ukraine. This is reported by the Office of the President.
It is reported that the discussion of procedural matters lasted for about four hours, which, however, did not allow to immediately proceed to the consideration of issues on the agenda of the meeting.
"Do not block the negotiation process and focus on the issues in the solution of which the citizens of Ukraine are interested", - Leonid Kravchuk urged authorized representative of the Russian Federation Boris Gryzlov at the beginning of the meeting.
According to Kravchuk, "the parties should work on the implementation of decisions of the heads of states of the Normandy format, reached during the Paris summit, bringing the desired peace closer".
In particular, Kravchuk noted that Ukrainian delegation was ready to work constructively to resolve issues on the agenda of the TCG.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation urged not to create "stumbling blocks", but "to move forward, focusing on strengthening the ceasefire, releasing the persons held by the parties and solving problems that ordinary people are interested in".
Addressing Boris Gryzlov, Leonid Kravchuk stated: "Do not draw a line in the sand. We are not in the USSR and not under the Kremlin. Ukraine is an independent state that will not allow any conditions to be dictated to it".
Kravchuk also thanked Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and the TCG Ms. Heidi Grau for the efforts that the Organization is making to achieve peace and restore the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, - the message says.