Russia does not rule out that Kiev can leave Minsk agreements to hinder settlement – diplomat – world

TACHKENT, September 20. / TASS /. Moscow does not rule out that Kiev renounces the Minsk agreement, but such a move will prolong the conflict in southeastern Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told media on the sidelines of the conference entitled Russia and Uzbekistan Facing Development and Security Challenges at a New Historical Stage of Interaction.

“I would prefer to avoid speculation about various scenarios. Anything is possible, including a withdrawal from the Minsk accords. However, we believe this is a road that leads nowhere. This will worsen the conflict and prolong it for many years. years, ”he said. said, when asked about the likely implications of Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Minsk agreement.

Rudenko warned that Ukraine’s military build-up and overwhelming support from the West in no way contributes to a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the east of the country.

“We are aware of these military preparations and the help Kiev is receiving from the United States and other countries. As long as the current leadership in Kiev remains unchanged, nothing can be ruled out. We take all of these things into account in the process of our own military planning. We hope that common sense will prevail in Kiev. Hopefully this will not lead to a military scenario, including the situation in Donbass, “he concluded.

Minsk agreements

A peace settlement that has yet to be reached in the Donbass is based on the Minsk Accords, providing for a ceasefire, withdrawal of arms, amnesty, resumption of economic ties and fundamental constitutional reform in Ukraine on the basis of a dialogue with the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics with the aim of decentralizing power in accordance with the special status of certain districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

However, the negotiation process is in fact blocked due to Ukraine’s refusal to comply with the “political clauses” of the Minsk agreement. On the one hand, Kiev refuses to conduct a direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk. He remains opposed to the inclusion in the Constitution of the special status of the region and demands that it be allowed to establish control of the Donbass border with Russia before the political part of the agreements is implemented. In the meantime, under point nine of the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements, the restoration of full control of the state border must begin the day after the local elections and not be completed until after a comprehensive political settlement.