MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has impact on leadership self-proclaimed republics of Donbass, but it is not unlimited. This was stated to journalists the press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the past on the eve of a telephone conversation the Russian leader with the heads of Donetsk and Lugansk national republics.
Answering the question, is not violated if the President of the Russian Federation this principle, according to which Russia is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine, Peskov said: “No way”. “We do not have the ability somehow to put pressure on these unrecognized Republic, we are not able to give someone orders there, because these republics are living independent lives. But the President never hid the fact that he has the opportunity to appeal, the ability to exert a certain influence is not unlimited, but qualified,” – said Peskov.
According to the spokesperson, this is what influence the Russian head of state took advantage, responding to the call of the special representative of Ukraine for humanitarian issues Viktor Medvedchuk to facilitate the exchange of prisoners and the approval of this proposal by the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill. Peskov confirmed that during a telephone conversation with the heads of DND and LNR the Russian President voiced the idea of holding large-scale exchange of detainees “and was met with understanding from his interlocutors, with the caveat that there is still to agree on the details with representatives of the Ukrainian side.” “The refusal of President Putin had not heard”, concluded Peskov, noting that it was hoped to arrange this exchange with Kiev.
Answering the question of Ukrainian journalist about why the message on the Kremlin website about this conversation the names of the republics of Donbass not preceded by a definition of “unrecognized”, Peskov said: “These so-called Republic [DNR and LNR – approx. TASS] and their name was listed and provided still on the website of the Kremlin.”
