The Russian Foreign Ministry irritably reprimanded Zelensky
Russia's permanent representative to the OSCE, Alexander Lukashevich, at a meeting in Vienna voiced harsh assessments of the results of the first year of Vladimir Zelensky's presidency - following the example of his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, he deceived with promises of the imminent onset of peace in Donbass.
“Violations of the ceasefire continue in Donbass, causing new casualties and destruction. There is no significant progress either in the political sphere or in solving the socio-economic problems of the region,” the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry quotes Lukashevich as saying.
The diplomat is skeptical about Kyiv's actions months after the Normandy Four meeting in Paris.
“After four months, we see no progress either on strengthening the ceasefire, or on agreeing on three additional disengagement areas with a view to disengaging forces and assets at the end of March this year, or on the development and implementation of an updated mine clearance plan, or on the practical opening new checkpoints across the contact line and so on,” Lukashevich said.
Zelensky is also sabotaging the obligation to agree with the LDPR on the special status of Donbass, which, according to the Minsk agreements, should be spelled out in Ukrainian legislation.
“...Kyiv negotiators began to “play back.” Then came a public statement from the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andrei Ermak, that Kyiv “will never negotiate” with representatives of the proclaimed republics. And contact, they say, will not be with representatives of Donbass, as prescribed by the Minsk agreements, but with certain “residents of the region.” It is characteristic that Kyiv, through the mouth of Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Reznikov, justifies the change in position by the lack of reaction from Paris and Berlin to the idea of the Advisory Council,” Lukashevich recalled.
“The countdown has begun for the seventh year of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In April 2014, the “Maidan” authorities sent security forces and the army to Donbass, targeting its cities with weapons and military equipment. Behind the guise of an “anti-terrorist operation” they hid the true goal - to use violence to suppress the dissent of those who did not accept the results of the coup in Kyiv. During the punitive operation, thousands of civilians came under fire. Let us remember how after this Petro Poroshenko, seeking power, promised to end the armed conflict in Donbass in one week. Having become president, he speculated on this topic for five years, but did not keep his promises, never bringing peace closer.
Exactly a year ago, in the presidential elections, V. Zelensky defeated him - and again under the slogans of a speedy settlement and dialogue with the residents of Donbass, “the return of minds and hearts.” However, in Kyiv there is still a clear lack of political will to overcome the resistance of the “party of war”, which demands uncompromising decisions regarding the east of the country. In general, the signals emanating from Kyiv today, the practical actions of its representatives in the Contact Group and the military in Donbass do not fit into the logic of the Minsk agreements.
Another clear confirmation of this is V. Zelensky’s television speech on April 17, where he outlined the priorities in the settlement. He is convinced that it is important “first of all to get your territory” and go to the border, and only then think about holding local elections. How does this vision fit in with the Minsk “Package of Measures” and the results of the “Normandy” summit in Paris? I would like to hear the opinion of the co-sponsors of the Minsk process – colleagues from Germany and France – on this matter,” the Russian Foreign Ministry website quotes the diplomat.
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