Kiev Keeps Blocking Minsk Peace Agreement – French Politician

The former French Minister of Interior and Minister of Defense said it is Kiev’s fault that peace agreements reached in Minsk are not being properly implemented. He also stressed that France must remember what it is to be independent and start making its own political decisions.

An agreement on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict reached in Minsk is not being implemented due to Kiev's unwillingness, said Jean-Pierre Chevenement, the former French Minister of Interior and Minister of Defense on his blog.

"It's time to admit that Kiev is blocking the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The political part of the agreements is not being implemented, because Kiev does not want to use them," Chevenement said.

Kiev keeps blaming Russia, seeking to extend anti-Russian sanctions. However, the French politician stressed that these sanctions are directed as much against Europeans as against Russians.

"I believe that France needs to remember lessons that it learned from Charles de Gaulle, remember what independence is," Chevenement stressed.

The political work on the Ukrainian crisis settlement continues, with the next Normandy Format meeting scheduled for June 10 in Paris.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a new round of fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine as Kiev forces launched an offensive against local independence supporters near the city of Marinka. Ukrainian officials publicly acknowledged that Kiev used heavy artillery in the fighting, which violated the ceasefire agreed upon in February in Minsk.