Instead of blaming Moscow, Kiev should start applying Minsk-2 – Russian diplomat – Russian Politics & Diplomacy

UNITED NATIONS, October 6. / TASS /. Ukraine should stop looking for external enemies and start fulfilling its commitments under the Minsk package of agreements, Russian delegation representative Denis Lozinsky told the First Committee of the General Assembly of Nations United.

“Regarding the relentless attempts to accuse us of military interference in events in southeastern Ukraine, those who created these rumors have so far provided no convincing evidence of the military presence of Russia there, just because there never were any troops, “he said.

“Instead of trying to portray Russia as responsible for the current dire situation in Ukraine, Kiev should start to address the problems that have accumulated in the country,” he continued. “So far, the actions (continued bombing of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics by the Ukrainian armed forces) as well as inaction (non-compliance with the agreement of July 22, 2020 on ceasefire control measures -the fire and the Minsk Accord of February 12, 2015 package of measures) cause irreparable losses and immense suffering to civilians, including children. ”

In his words, Kiev’s reluctance to stop the military operation in the east of the country is leading to a deterioration of the security situation throughout the region.

“Instead of entering into a direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk, promulgating the law on their special status, adopting constitutional amendments and amnesty laws, organizing local elections, the Ukrainian authorities are taking measures that worsen the already blocked situation of the negotiation process, “added the diplomat.

The Russian side calls on the Ukrainian government “to be fully aware of the negative consequences for the civilian population and the installations, which arise when they turn a blind eye to the hawkish aspirations of the Ukrainian army and armed nationalist groups”.

“Instead, we see constant attempts to get Ukrainians to take the wrong path of finding ‘enemies’ in neighboring countries and among brotherly peoples,” he said. “This only compounds the disagreement between UN member states and the Ukrainians themselves.”

Memorandum of Crimea and Budapest

Russia never made a commitment to force a Ukrainian region to remain part of the country against the will of the local population, said the representative of the Russian delegation.

According to the diplomat, any attempt to accuse Russia of having violated the Budapest Memorandum of December 5, 1994 on security guarantees to Ukraine is “absolutely baseless” and is nothing more than ” manifestation of anti-Russian propaganda ”.

“The provisions of this document do not apply to circumstances caused by national political, social or economic factors,” he said. “Russia never made a commitment to force part of Ukraine to join it against the will of the local population.”

“Faced with the outburst of radical nationalists in Ukraine, in the situation where a violent coup d’état took place with the support of outside forces, the inhabitants of Crimea and Sevastopol exercised their right to self-determination and then regained Russia, which has become the only possible way. for them to protect their vital interests, ”Lozinsky said.

After the disintegration of the then Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited the third largest nuclear arsenal after the United States and Russia. In December 1994, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the Budapest Memorandum, giving security guarantees within the framework of Kiev’s accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. nuclear weapons. Under the agreement, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons, while Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom gave security guarantees to Ukraine.

After a coup d’état in Ukraine in February 2014, the authorities in Crimea and Sevastopol decided to hold a referendum on reunification with Russia. In the March 16 poll, more than 80% of those eligible to vote participated. Unification with Russia was supported by 96.7% and 95.6% in Crimea and Sevastopol respectively. On March 18, the Russian President signed a treaty on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. On March 21, the treaty was ratified by the Federal Assembly. Disregarding the indisputable results of the referendum, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as part of Russia.