Diplomat reminds US, Ukraine that Russia is not a party to Minsk agreements

Zakharova clarified on her Telegram channel that the responsibility of adhering to the Minsk Package of Measures lies with the parties directly involved in the intra-Ukrainian conflict: namely, Kiev, Donetsk, and Lugansk. She pointed out that the agreement does not impose any specific obligations on Russia but rather on the Ukrainian authorities, Ukraine’s armed forces, and the representatives and militias of certain districts in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

She also mentioned that Russia, along with Germany and France (all members of the Normandy Four, which includes Ukraine), have committed to encouraging these parties to fulfill their obligations under the agreement. Zakharova criticized France and Germany for their recent difficulties in ensuring Kiev's compliance, especially since Kiev has openly and implicitly dismissed the relevance of the Minsk agreements. She accused the Kiev regime of moving from a phase of silently avoiding its commitments to an openly practical phase of sabotage.

Zakharova suggested that if the United States genuinely wants the Minsk agreements to be implemented, it could leverage its influence over Kiev to ensure compliance with the agreement's terms. She questioned why Washington has not exerted this influence, given Kiev's adherence to US directives in other areas such as land and judicial reforms, arms purchases, and healthcare.