Ukrainian Foreign Ministry: Kremlin’s Statements about Kyiv’s Withdrawal from Minsk Agreements Are Another Attempt to Justify its Aggressive Policy

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has responded to the statement of the Russian Federation that the desire of official Kyiv to involve the United States in the Normandy format indicates an intention to move away from the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The Ministry considers such statements to be another unsuccessful attempt to justify the Kremlin’s aggressive policy towards Ukraine, Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said.

“Unlike the Russian Federation, Ukraine is consistently working to implement the Minsk agreements, not to destroy them, and is making efforts to peacefully resolve the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. On our side, all possible steps have been taken to implement the decisions of the last Paris summit of the leaders of the Normandy format countries on security, humanitarian and political tracks,” the diplomat said.

He noted that, at the same time, Ukrainian proposals and initiatives, including at the level of the Trilateral Contact Group, are constantly blocked. Therefore, it is quite obvious that a political and diplomatic settlement is not yet part of the Kremlin’s plans.

“Ukraine sees no signs that Russia has decided to finally end the conflict and withdraw its armed forces, mercenaries, and other illegal armed groups from the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russia continues its policy of dragging out the peace process under various pretexts, inciting violence in Donbas, sending military convoys and personnel across an uncontrolled section of the state border,” Nikolenko said.

He added that Ukraine will continue to make every effort to achieve a peaceful settlement and implement the agreements reached within the Norman format and the TCG.

As a reminder, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated that Ukraine wants to involve the United States in the Normandy format, allegedly in order to move away from the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The Russian Ministry believes that the increase in the number of participants in the negotiation process is possible only on the basis of a consensus, which does not currently exist.

Bohdan Marusyak