Kremlin says Zakharchenko’s murder does not mean Russia’s withdrawal from Minsk process

The murder of Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, does not mean that Russia is pulling out of the Minsk peace process on Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"After the terrorist attack it is very difficult to speak about something with the Ukrainian side, but this does not mean that Russia is withdrawing from the Minsk process," Peskov told reporters.

Peskov stressed that "any talks are conducted for achieving a result and holding talks just for the sake of the process is not reasonable." Russia was and remains committed to the Minsk peace process, he said, noting that "Kiev has been impeding the implementation of these agreements."

According to the Kremlin spokesman, "such terrorist attacks do not encourage this process at all." "That’s for sure," he stressed.

Peskov voiced hope that relations in the framework of the Normandy Four group (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) will continue. "President Putin is making every effort to drive the Minsk process from the deadlock," he said.

Alexander Zakharchenko, 42, who had been DPR’s Prime Minister since 2014, was killed in an explosion at a restaurant in downtown Donetsk on August 31.