“The fact that Washington does not want to admit the success of these Minsk agreements and overcoming the current crisis in Russia-Europe relations, for me it is obvious, although [US Secretary of State] John Kerry always tells me the contrary,” Lavrov said.
On February 12, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France agreed on a set of measures aimed at stopping the military confrontation between Kiev forces and independence supporters in eastern Ukraine.
The measures, among other points, stipulate a ceasefire that came into force in eastern Ukraine on February 15. The 13-point plan also includes the requirement for constitutional reform in Ukraine, a decentralization of power, alongside the introduction of permanent legislation granting special status to certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the end of 2015.
“Kiev says: we will work on a political process after we regain full power, full control over these territories. But then no political process will be needed… In this case Berlin and Paris, of course, understand that such laws and such a stance contradict the Minsk agreements,” Lavrov highlighted.
President Poroshenko introduced a legislative initiative in March, according to which the eastern regions of Ukraine will only receive special status after local elections are held according to Ukrainian laws. Moscow stressed that the law, signed by Poroshenko, is a gross violation of the Minsk agreements, which call for broader autonomy for the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
