"It is possible if we see that there is no end in sight to this process. It is a very unpopular statement and our Western partners probably won't like it," the top diplomat pointed out.

He stressed that these agreements were not "a value in themselves," while "the nation’s survival" was the highest value. "If we see that they are not working, which constantly delays the process, sooner or later a decision will be made to pull out of the Minsk process," Pristaiko added.

According to him, much will depend on the next meeting of the Normandy Four countries (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine). "It would be right to ask us about it when we come back [from the meeting]. If we achieve nothing, it will be logical to think about whether we need the Minsk [Agreements]," he noted.

Pristaiko agreed that Kiev’s possible withdrawal from the accords could prompt the European Union to remove sanctions on Russia. "This is the price of the Minsk Agreements. But I would like to point out that sanctions may be removed even if we don’t pull out," he assumed. According to the Ukrainian foreign minister, the country’s president, government and the entire society should make a final decision on "whether these sanctions can be a deterrent or Kiev will eventually have to quit the Minsk Agreements and start searching for other ways to establish peace," Pristaiko emphasized.

If the Minsk process proves to be ineffective, Kiev will have several options, he went on to say. "In particular, if there are no Minsk Agreements, we will need to request that a peacekeeping mission be deployed [to Donbass]," Pristaiko specified. At the same time, he did not rule out that the step could be taken within the Minsk Agreements. "It is a way to upgrade the agreements. If we don’t see them work, we will probably have to ask a third party for assistance," he said.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stated earlier that he was hopeful of resolving all issues related to the Donbass conflict within a year. "It seems to me that since we have formed a new group within the Minsk process, we can’t lose more than a year," he said during his press marathon in Kiev in October.