Peace talks on Ukraine's crisis have started in Minsk, Belarus, with the Kiev authorities, E. Ukraine self-defense forces, Russia and the OSCE. All sides hope ceasefire negotiations will succeed, reports GHN based on RT.
"[We] expect that the key issues which may be discussed at the negotiations in Minsk and can be agreed on by the participants of the talks will be exchange of prisoners ‘all for all', monitoring of the situation under the authority of the OSCE, withdrawal of Kiev troops from the residential areas of Donetsk and Lugansk Republics and, finally, a ceasefire," said Miroslav Rudenko, one of the Donbass self-defense leaders told Interfax.
According to Rudenko, the participants of the meeting will agree on a peaceful settlement of the crisis, which involves a ceasefire and exchange of prisoners.
Russia's Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov is optimistic that a series of documents will be signed during the meeting in the Belarusian capital.
"I think they will [be signed]," he told the journalists ahead of the talks.
According to the ex-Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, who served from 1994-2005, the Kiev authorities came to Minsk "for peace, to stop the military actions" in the crisis-torn country. He added that Kiev is ready for a ceasefire.
"If the other sides are ready [for a ceasefire], too, then out plan should be signed," he said, "We need to stop killing each other."
In the meantime, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is preparing the ceasefire proposals in eastern Ukraine, according to Russian representative to the OSCE Andrey Kelin.
"The Swiss presidency said that OSCE secretariat ...is preparing its proposals so that to the moment of the ceasefire, OSCE mission in Ukraine may perform these functions [controlling the ceasefire]," Kelin told Interfax.