Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says his country will never give special status to parts of eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, commonly known as the Donbas, which have been under the control of Moscow-backed separatists since April 2014.
In an interview with the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, published on February 2, Kuleba said that the so-called Minsk agreements on resolving the ongoing conflict where more than 13,200 people have been killed need to focus on security first and foremost.
"None of Ukraine's regions will have a right to veto the state's decisions. That is engraved in stone! Therefore, no special status as Russia is considering it, no veto right will be given," Kuleba said.
Russia has been pushing Kyiv to hold "a dialogue" with separatist leaders in order to provide the territories they control greater autonomy. Moscow says the Minsk agreements allow for this.
Kyiv, however, has rejected the notion saying it is a thinly veiled attempt by the Kremlin to federalize Ukraine and ultimately take control of it.
Kuleba's interview was published amid concerns about Russia's amassing of troops along the Ukrainian border, which has raised fears of a possible wholesale invasion of its western neighbor.
