Verkhovna Rada committee agreed to remove clause on severance of diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation from the Donbass bill

The Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence has agreed to remove the clause on severance of diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation from the bill "on Donbass reintegration" (No7163).  The committee secretary Ivan Vinnyk stated this to journalists today, answering the question whether the clause on the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia retained in the draft law, - Interfax-Ukraine reports.

"We have agreed based on a consensus that this (severance of diplomatic relations - ed.) is solely within the purview of the executive branch, in order to preserve the clear separation between the government branches and their independence… We will not tell the executive branch how they should abide by the law. The law will assign aggressor status to the Russian Federation. In these conditions, it is obvious that the executive branch will sever the diplomatic relations in order to carry out the law. We have decided that we will not tell the Cabinet of Ministers about this", - he said.

As previously reported, Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy had stated earlier that the people's deputies would decide on the clause regarding the severance of diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation in the bill on enforcing Ukraine's sovereignty over Donbass in the debating chamber of the Verkhovna Rada on November 16. At the same time, the speaker reminded that on Wednesday, November 15, the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada would consider amendments to the given bill, and if it succeeds in preparing the decision, the people's deputies may consider this initiative in the second reading and in general in the debating chamber on Thursday.