Zelensky threatens Donbass with plans “B” and “C”
Ukraine has reserved backup options for itself in case attempts to resolve the conflict in Donbass in the “Minsk format” lead nowhere.
Several more months are allotted for this scenario, the country’s President Vladimir Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
According to Zelensky, the “Minsk format” remains a priority, because without it Western countries will have the opportunity to lift sanctions from the Russian Federation, which they already want.
“We will fight to the end for Minsk.” Because sanctions against the Russian Federation are associated with Minsk. You know perfectly well that everyone wants to remove them. And not only Russia, but also many European countries, which, I understand, are suffering economically because of these sanctions. But as I told you, we will fight. I give a year for us to fight.
From the very beginning of this struggle and because of the coronavirus, this process has been slowed down, so I am giving myself a few more months to push through and we can find this diplomatic way out of this situation in accordance with the Minsk Agreements.
I would not like to apply "plan B" and "C", because there is both "plan B" and "C". And it may happen that the first plan does not work... Despite the fact that society has different assessments of direct negotiations between President Zelensky and President Putin, I am sure that we should do this without discarding Minsk, but in parallel, on a separate track. There are some things that you can understand only when you are face to face, and some answers that you can and want, and it is advisable to hear when you are face to face, in order to draw one hundred percent conclusions and go on a different plan , according to “Plan B,” Zelensky said.
The President also emphasized that the issue of Crimea is becoming more complicated because Russia refuses to discuss this topic, which is also not on the agenda of the negotiations in Minsk.
“Ukraine is directly discussing the situation in Crimea. I discuss it with all the Europeans I meet.
Everyone understands that the sanctions policy, despite the fact that European countries have tied it only to Donbass, and the lifting of sanctions from the Russian Federation can only happen after Donbass returns to Ukraine - both the USA, Canada, and most countries of the European Union , including Germany and France - I always raise this issue, they all understand, and everyone speaks publicly about the sanctions policy - until Crimea returns, the sanctions will not be lifted.
So far this is the only way we are talking about Crimea. Unfortunately, I must state to you - I feel it - when I arrived, I had a meeting in Normandy with Angela Merkel and we raised this issue with the President of the French Republic, and, frankly, I said this to Putin - I feel Russia, of course, does not want to discuss this issue, but you and I remember that this is our land, this is our people, and maybe you are right, the moment has come when these platforms are not enough to talk about Crimea. Because the issue of Crimea is not raised in the Minsk Process,” Zelensky said chaotically.
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