On November 23, the TASS media venue hosted a roundtable video meeting on the topic of “Assessments and Prospects of Implementation of the Minsk Agreements: Analysis of Road Maps for Resolution”, which DPR plenipotentiary representative to the Contact Group and Minister of Foreign Affairs Natalya Nikonorova participated in.
“For almost six years since the signing of the Complex of Measures, the situation in the negotiation process has neither been easy nor ever particularly constructive. However, what is happening at the Minsk venue at the moment is especially absurd. Instead of taking steps to implement the Minsk Agreements directly, we are doing something unimaginable: for the fifth month now we have been persuading the Ukrainian side to affirm its intention to implement these very agreements in practice,” the head of the foreign-policy establishment stressed.
Nikonorova drew attention to the fact that the Republics proposed a draft Road Map as one of the options for direct implementation of the Complex of Measures with reference to each aspect. However, Kiev has completely twisted the essence and meaning of this initiative.
“Unfortunately, in response to our step forward towards peace, the Ukrainian side took a step back, having presented a response document that completely distorted the essence of our initiative. The draft presented by the Ukrainian side is not only self-repugnant, but also directly contradicts the Minsk Agreements in a number of clauses,” the plenipotentiary noted.
Representatives of the Lugansk People’s Republic to the Contact Group, who participated in the round table meeting, also claimed that the Ukrainian side would rather make only loud statements about its commitment to the Minsk Agreements, but in fact they completely sabotage the effective work of the Contact Group.
“We constantly hear from Ukrainian representatives about some “plans B”, “plans C” and other ideas. Judging by the aggressive rhetoric as part of which they make those statements, this is clearly not indicative that Kiev’s intentions are peaceful. However, the Republic is ready to respond to any provocation from Ukraine. Including the situation if Kiev decides to officially quit the Minsk process — in this case, the Ukrainian side will have to admit its inability to fulfill the Minsk Agreements, which were approved by the UN Security Council, and permanently renounce its claims on Donbass,” Natalya Nikonorova added.
