Petro Poroshenko, the fifth president of Ukraine and leader of the party European Solidarity, has demanded that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky not create an "advisory council" with representatives of the self-proclaimed republics.

According to the European Solidarity press service, Poroshenko said his political force and society are keeping the "red lines" on Donbas settlement within their line of vision.

"Agreeing to the creation of a so-called advisory council means crossing these lines and going too far beyond them. It means acting against the national interests of Ukraine. It means legitimizing the heads of the areas of Donbas occupied by Russia and recognizing the aggressor country as a mediator and giving it a chance of getting rid of the sanctions," Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko said he is convinced that, no matter who formally signs a protocol on the creation of such a council, responsibility for that will rest with Zelensky. "Therefore, I am publicly addressing him with a categorical demand to give up these plans and not to agree to the creation of 'an advisory council'," the politician said.

Poroshenko also said that "a strong immunity is needed" now "more than ever that will reliably protect the Ukrainian state organism from any attempts made by Russia to hit it."