"The practical implementation of this
law threatens with risks of a major escalation of the situation in Ukraine’s
south-east," Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in the document, posted on its
website.
MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. The Ukrainian law, which comes into force on Saturday, on reintegration of Donbass confirms that Kiev wants to settle the conflict in south-east by force only, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
"On
February 24, 2018, the scandalous law on the so-called "reintegration of
Donbass" is coming into fore," the Foreign Ministry said in a
commentary, published on its website. "Thus, Kiev confirms aiming at
settling by force the conflict in Ukraine’s south-east."
According
to the Russian ministry, Ukraine’s President Pyotr Poroshenko by having signed
the law "realistically dumped the Minsk accords, set loose the ‘party of
war’."
"There
is no mentioning a direct dialogue with authorities of the non-recognized
republics, the de-escalation of the tension or the search for peaceful
political settlement," the Russian authority said.
"Right
on the contrary, the document makes up conditions for Kiev’s occupation of the
non-controlled territories in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, it legalized use
of the Ukrainian military against civilians."
"There
has been, though fragile, hope President P. Poroshenko - who three years
earlier participated in offering of the Minsk accords, and later on kept
repeating he adheres to the agreements - could think better of it, but, alas,
the Ukrainian president in reality has inked a verdict to the Minsk Complex of
Measures," the Foreign Ministry said.
The new
law’s coming into force coincides with an anniversary of the "coup, which
the Ukrainian nationalists organized in February, 2014," the ministry
continued. "The conclusions are evident: the current regime in Kiev, which
had taken the power by a coup, would not accept any other methods but
violence."
"The
practical implementation of this law (on "reintegration of Donbass" -
TASS) threatens with risks of a major escalation of the situation in Ukraine’s
south-east," the ministry said. "We hope, the country’s Western
supervisors realize this and would be able to use the influence they have on
Kiev not to allow this scenario, which is ruining for the Ukrainian statehood,
which threatens unforeseen consequences for the European stability and
security."
About the law
On Tuesday,
Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko signed into law the bill "On the
special aspects of state policy aimed at ensuring Ukraine’s state sovereignty
over the temporarily occupied areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions"
(on Donbass reintegration).
The law,
initiated by President Poroshenko, refers to the specified eastern regions as
"temporarily occupied territories" and defines Russia’s actions as
"aggression against Ukraine." The law provides for setting up the
joint operation headquarters of the Ukrainian armed forces to control all
military units and military-civil administrations in the conflict zone and
gives the president the right to use the armed forces inside the country
without the parliament’s consent.
In
addition, all references to the Minsk agreements have been removed from the
document.
Minsk agreements
Peace
settlement of the conflict in Donbass rests on the Package of Measures, known
as Minsk-2, that was signed by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine
comprising senior representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the European
security watchdog OSCE on February 12, 2015, after marathon 16-hour talks
between the leaders of the Normandy Four nations, namely Russia, Germany,
France and Ukraine. The 13-point document envisages a ceasefire between
Ukrainian government forces and people’s militias in the self-proclaimed
republics in Donetsk and Lugansk starting and subsequent withdrawal of heavy
weapons from the line of engagement. The deal also lays out a roadmap for a
lasting settlement in Ukraine, including local elections and a constitutional
reform to give more autonomy to the war-torn eastern regions.
These
agreements, that were initially planned to be implemented by the end of 2015,
have not been fulfilled until now. The Ukrainian side has been dodging
implementation of the package’s political provisions citing security problems
as a reason. Ukraine has failed to carry out a constitutional reform, to
enforce a law on the region’s special status and to pass a law on elections in
Donbass. Instead, it insists on regaining control over the border with Russia,
which is to take place only after the elections, as is envisaged by the Minsk
agreements. Moreover, the Ukrainian side continues the economic blockade of
Donbass. In the recent months, Kiev has been pushing the idea of deployment a
United Nations armed mission in Donbass, obviously, in a bid to find a pretext
to waive its liabilities under the Minsk agreements.
Source: ITAR-TASS 24-02-2018
