Nuland Voices 'Interesting Ideas' on Minsk Deal Implementation

US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland presented a number of interesting ideas on the implementation of the Minsk accords on Ukraine during a meeting with Russian Presidential Aide Vladislav Surkov in Moscow, a Russian political scientist familiar with the meeting's details said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Nuland arrived in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in eastern Ukraine with Russian officials. 

Nuland: We want to see Minsk implemented as soon as possible.
(Full transcript here:)https://t.co/8aSsiVzVg7 pic.twitter.com/MOaCFII8xI

— Will Stevens (@WBStevens) 18 May 2016

​"She brought several disputable but interesting ideas regarding the implementation of the Minsk agreements," Alexey Chesnakov, the director of the Center for current policy (CCP), told RIA Novosti.

According to Chesnakov, Nuland and Surkov discussed, in particular, "some aspects on how to provide security in the conflict area."

"The conversation was constructive. The sides tried to avoid categorical statements and assessments… According to Surkov, there can be such an impression that Washington shows much more interest to settle the conflict and flexibility in negotiations than Kiev," Chesnakov added.

Kiev launched a special military operation in Ukraine’s southeast in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities, which came to power as a result of a coup.

In February 2015, a peace agreement was signed between Ukraine’s conflicting sides in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, after marathon talks of the Normandy Four countries, comprising Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France. The deal stipulates a full ceasefire, weapons withdrawal from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, an all-for-all prisoner exchange and constitutional reforms, which would give a special status to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics.