The statements of the Ukrainian side about the unilateral opening of all entry-exit checkpoints, located on the border with the Donetsk People’s Republic, are a planned and deliberate provocation.
Closing the borders with Ukraine is a necessary measure that we took to prevent the massive spread of coronavirus infection in our territory. Ukraine showed its failure in the fight against COVID-19 in the spring, demonstrating a steady increase of cases every day. Today the situation has worsened even more there: red zones are expanding, anti-records are documented daily, and the number of deaths is increasing. All this does not help us to lift the restrictions on the work of the checkpoints, thereby endangering the health and lives of our citizens. And the Ukrainian side knows very well the position of the Republic, which is constantly being defended by our negotiators at the Minsk platform.
Ukraine regularly states the provocations that are aimed at blaming us for breaking the agreements, shifting the blame for its actions onto the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
Zelensky really needs another meeting in the Normandy format, which he openly declared during his telephone conversation with German Chancellor Merkel. Ukrainian President realizes that he himself is the reason for the disruption of these meetings, thus he decided to act differently, using all the same vile and impure methods.
I would like to appeal to residents who wish to cross the Contact Line! Don’t put your lives in danger! In the summer, we were witnesses of the dire consequences of Ukrainian provocations on the border. Today, only the Elenovka checkpoint is open. The Donetsk People’s Republic remains unchanged in its position, namely the life and health of our citizens will be in the first place!
