Latest Donbas peace talks conclude without agreement

The latest meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group to resolve the conflict in Donbas concluded without any results and the sides remaining on their positions, reported on Nov. 3 Roman Bezsmertniy, a member of the Ukrainian delegation. They discussed the participation of Ukrainian political parties in the planned elections and the renewal of Ukrainian mass media on the occupied territory, both of which the Donbas delegation is resisting, Bezsmertniy said, reported Interfax-Ukraine.

Zenon Zawada: Although the Russian-backed forces are resisting the election conditions on parties and media, we see a compromise there possible. The bigger challenge will be holding the elections without the presence of Russian soldiers, and with Ukrainian control of the border being restored. It’s these two scandalous points that were seemingly agreed upon in early October in Paris by the Ukrainian president (who hasn’t been clear on this with contradictory statements being issued) that will not be accepted by the Ukrainian public.

So we don’t expect the elections to happen not because of the issues of mass media and parties (where there’s enough disagreement), but because of these greater issues of Russian soldiers being present and Ukrainian control of the border not being restored. And without these issues being resolved, we don’t expect a super-majority of 300 votes to emerge in parliament to amend the Constitution for a special election law for Donbas.