Linking Anti-Russia Sanctions to Minsk Deal Implementation 'Illogical'

Linking anti-Russian sanctions to the implementation of the Minsk agreements on settling the conflict in eastern Ukraine is illogical as Kiev is the responsible party for their implementation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – He reiterated that it would be "more or less logical" to link the implementation of the Minsk agreements by the Ukrainian government with anti-Russia sanctions.

"Unfortunately neither France, nor Germany, nor Russia can carry out a single point [of the Minsk agreements], it can only be done by Kiev… Therefore, we consider phrases about the link between the sanctions and Moscow’s implementation of the Minsk agreements absolutely illogical," Peskov told reporters.

In February 2015, a peace agreement was signed between Ukraine’s conflicting sides in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, after talks of the Normandy Four countries, comprising Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France. The deal stipulates a full ceasefire, weapons withdrawal from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, an all-for-all prisoner exchange and constitutional reforms, which would give a special status to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics.

Peskov added that Ukraine does not show any willingness and readiness to make concrete steps aimed at implementation of the Minsk agreements.

"Of course, the Russian president as well as other members of the Normandy Four are always ready to communicate, hold meetings. At the same time there is no sense in holding meetings only to put a tick on carrying out the meeting. There is a need for significant progress concerning compensation of the lost time and demonstration of readiness to implement the Minsk agreements – especially by Kiev," Peskov said.