Former leader of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko admitted that Kiev could withdraw from the Minsk agreements after the support of the Russian State Duma for the recognition of the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass.
“From now on, Ukraine has every right to refuse its obligations. You should let your partners know about it,” he wrote on Facebook.
At the same time, the politician believes that this does not mean that the withdrawal from the Minsk agreements must be made immediately. Before that, it is necessary to find an alternative within the framework of a political and diplomatic settlement.
Poroshenko added that the Minsk agreements "were the only right decision for 2014-2015" because they gave Ukraine "several years to restore and strengthen the army." The system of sanctions against the Russian Federation is also based on this document.
“But the Minsk agreements are not a holy scripture in which people have no right to change anything. If life dictates the need for other decisions, they need to be taken by those who have taken responsibility for the country,” he concluded.
Earlier, deputies of the State Duma of Russia by a majority supported the draft resolution developed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation on an appeal to President Vladimir Putin with a request to recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. 351 deputies voted for the draft resolution, 16 opposed and one abstained.
The first Minsk agreements on the settlement of the conflict in Donbass were approved in September 2014. They were signed by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the heads of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR.
A year later, the second Minsk agreements were created. They were approved by Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France.
The agreements, in particular, require the parties to the conflict to cease fire and withdraw heavy weapons from the line of contact. Kiev should also legally recognize the special status of Donbass. Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of breaking the agreements and unwillingness to fulfill them. In particular, Kiev does not want to discuss anything directly with representatives of the DPR and LPR, although the agreements provide for such a dialogue.
bbabo.Net