DISINFO: Kyiv and its Western allies did not implement Minsk agreements, because the goal was to cleanse the territories of everything Russian
SUMMARY
Kyiv and its Western partners 10 years ago did not allow the implementation of the "Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements" because their real goal was to cleanse the territories of everything Russian and create an anti-Russian bridgehead there.
Kyiv and the West do not care about the people living in Donbas. Donbas is only a territory for them. The fate of millions of Russians and Russian-speaking residents is indifferent to them, so they did everything to "bury" the Minsk agreements.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative about Russophobia and the Minsk agreements allegedly violated by the West. The claim is made in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, actively trying to legitimise Russia’s military actions.
In 2014, a peace plan for eastern Ukraine (the Minsk Protocol) was signed. As fighting continued, in 2015, leaders from France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia (the 'Normandy Four') agreed to a new ceasefire and a package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements (the 'Minsk II' agreement). Since then, progress has been limited.
The claim that the West violated the Minsk agreements distorts the truth.
Before the invasion, Russia was a party to the Minsk agreements, and these are the most recent formal documents in which Russia has affirmed Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, Russia has not delivered on its side of implementing the Minsk agreements. The Russian side and its proxies have failed to implement a ceasefire, withdraw all heavy weapons, implement an all-for-all political prisoner exchange, or ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance based on an international mechanism. On the contrary, Russia has been strengthening the illegal armed formations in eastern Ukraine. Russia also did not allow for unfettered access to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission monitors, including to the Ukraine-Russia border, where the (very limited) monitoring mission was discontinued due to a Russian veto in the summer of 2021.
Without the full implementation of the ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons as well as permission for full access to all territories for the OSCE monitoring mission, it is difficult to discuss the implementation of the political parts of Minsk II. Nevertheless, Ukraine implemented as much of the Minsk agreements as can reasonably be done while not having control over the territory and addressing every point. It has passed – and extended with renewals – legislation on special status and amnesty (2014), and prepared draft legislation on local elections (2014). Ukraine passed constitutional amendments to provide more autonomy to the territories currently outside its control (2015).
The EU did not aim to escalate relations with Russia and was not preparing for military conflict. Moscow’s aggressive policy has led to a tougher and better-balanced policy towards it by the West.
Read more disinformation stories about Ukraine allegedly oppressing the Russian-speaking population of Donbas Russians.
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