DISINFO: Macron: Ukraine must give water to Crimea and start talks with separatist leaders
SUMMARY
Zelenskyy visited France to hear an ultimatum from Macron. Either Ukraine provides Crimea with water and implements the political part of the Minsk Agreements, (direct dialogue with separatist leaders), or it will be left alone with Russia because no one is going to fight for Ukraine.
RESPONSE
This is a manipulative claim from pro-Kremlin media alleging that Ukraine must make unilateral concessions to Russia if Kyiv wants a peaceful settlement in Donbas. It is also an unsubstantiated claim because no official documents have mentioned such words from French President Emmanuel Macron during his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s latest visit to Paris. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and the COVID-19 pandemic. They were later joined by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
France and Germany as members of the Normandy format have been urging Russia over the past weeks to stop its military buildup along Ukraine’s borders. Since the Normandy format was set up in June 2014, Ukraine’s European partners have been seeking a peaceful solution in Donbas. Russia, in its turn, has been unwaveringly supporting the pro-Kremlin separatists and trying to snatch as many unilateral concessions from Ukraine as possible.
Point One of both Minsk agreements calls for an immediate ceasefire. Ukraine is committed to the “security first” principle. It means that a ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the disbandment of illegal military groups must precede direct political dialogue with pro-Kremlin separatists in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas.
Ukraine is not obliged to supply water to Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, because this responsibility is borne by the occupier. Before the annexation, the Ukrainian peninsula had been receiving 85 per cent of its fresh water through a canal from the mainland. The peninsula has been suffering from drought and the population has been facing problems with drinking water.
Crimea is a part of Ukraine and the annexation was condemned by the UN General Assembly in the same year. The European Union does not recognise the annexation and continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law, which remains a challenge to the international security order. In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Russian Federation.
Read more disinfo narratives claiming that Ukraine must resume water supplies to Crimea.