The law regulating the special status of Russia-occupied Donbas was prolonged for another 12 months.
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, by extending the special status of Donbas has sent a signal to residents of Russia-occupied territories and Ukraine's international partners about its readiness to resolve the situation peacefully.
This opinion was expressed by Member of Parliament from the ruling Servant of the People Party Oleksandr Kachura on the air of TV channel Ukraina 24.
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Kachura says the failure to extend the law would have meant "a negative signal to our international partners regarding their sanctions policy." "This would have been a signal as for the Minsk process, to Germany, to France, [to those] who support us. A signal that Ukraine no longer wanted to engage in the peace process, giving up the obligations that it undertook," he explained.
He recalled that the law on Donbas' special status had been extended several times.
"This is primarily a signal to Donbas – the occupied and non-occupied areas – that Ukraine is striving for peace, we are not abandoning the ongoing negotiation process. I personally would like this to be the last year when we had to prolong the law. [I would like local] elections there to be held under Ukrainian law, the borders to be retaken [by Ukraine], which would be followed by a full-fledged peace," he said.
On December 15, 2020, lawmakers extended the law on a special procedure for local self-government in Russia-occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions for another year.