Sergey Lavrov
The inability of Germany and France to force Kiev to abide by the Minsk agreements is to blame for the lack of progress in resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the annual press conference, the correspondent of “Lenta.ru” reports.
The minister stressed that Russia sees no other way to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, except for the implementation of the Minsk agreements. He noted that participation in the formation of the “road map” for the settlement of the conflict is a serious concession on the part of Russia.
The head of the Russian diplomatic department recalled that in December 2019, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky refused to withdraw troops along the entire line of contact, despite the fact that it had been agreed on the eve by experts from the Normandy Four summit participants. “One can grieve for a long time about this, but the main reason is, I am convinced, in the inability or unwillingness of Berlin and Paris to force their wards in Kiev to stop undermining the Minsk agreements,” Lavrov said.
The minister said that the main thing for him now is to understand the position of Germany and France. “In response to our numerous, including in the form of my letters, appeals to reason and reason with the Kiev representatives in negotiations with Donbass, they simply leave, as we say, into the shadows, under a snag and do not say anything public,” the diplomat said …
At the end of December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would withdraw from the Minsk Agreements to resolve the situation in Donbass, but believes that this cannot be done, since in this case the European Union could lift sanctions on Russia.
The conflict in Donbass has been going on for over six years. In April 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, which proclaimed independence from Kiev after a coup d'etat in the country. The 2015 Minsk agreements provide for a constitutional reform coordinated with representatives of Donbass in Ukraine, local elections and the provision of a special status to the region.
