On August 3, a meeting of the Contact Group on conflict resolution in Donbass was held in Minsk. The agenda included issues related to the deterioration of the situation on the contact line.

Crimea is a small piece of land because of which the debate has been continuing around the world for more than two years. The peninsula is still the subject of Ukrainian-Russian discord and causes senseless sanctions imposed by Europe and the United States against Russia.

Thirteen steps towards peace and hundreds of hours of political debate in Minsk for the 2.5 million residents of the Donetsk People's Republic still sound like night cannonade from the standpoints of Ukrainian artillery.

On August 1, the conveyance of a collective address of the DPR citizens to the special OSCE Representative in Contact group Martin Sajdik through the plenipotentiary representative of the DPR at negotiations in Minsk, the Chairman of People's Council of the DPR Denis Pushilin took place in Donetsk.

The process of destruction of an image of "fair" and "democratic" Europe continues to pick up steam: doping scandal at the Olympic Games was also added to the number of the western mistakes.

In September it will be two years since signing of the first decision of the Contact group – the Minsk protocol. Two years of struggle at the negotiating table, the signing of the Package of measures and various security documents – all of this was made for the sake of peace in Donbass.

The pleasure after Nadezhda Savchenko's return did not last long. In May Mr. Gerashchenko sang the praises of Nadia and called her the Ukrainian Joan of Arc, at the same time he was among of the first who suggested exchanging her. There were poems devoted to her, she was prophesied the great political future, people tried to save her from “unscrpulous Ukrainian politicians” (but where would they come from after all those lustrations?).

On July 27, the following issues were considered at a meeting of the Contact Group on settlement of the conflict in Donbass: deterioration of the situation on the contact line, pension payments, discussion of modalities of holding local elections, the prisoner exchange and search for missing persons.

On July 26, 2016, a live broadcast within the project "The Main Issue" was held  on the radio “Kometa” with the participation of Deputy Chairman of the DPR People`s Council Olga Makeeva and well-known Donetsk journalist Elena Blokha. The main topic of conversation was the non-fulfillment of Ukraine's commitments to exchange persons who are illegally detained.

The next rise in utility tariffs in July compelled the Ukrainians to take to the streets. "We`ll have to give our whole wages to pay for utilities. And how shall we live on?" protesters wondered. "But if the government speaks of European prices, then let it give European wages as well!" people demanded.