MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. The authorities in Kiev do not want to implement the Minsk agreements to maintain the enemy image in the face of Russia and distract people from pressing domestic problems, Russian Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko told a news conference on Monday following the spring session of the upper house of the Russian parliament.
The senator noted that the need of compliance with the Minsk accords as the only way out of the Ukrainian crisis is "a constant."
She added that Western experts give various reasons why Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko cannot implement the Minsk agreements.
"I don’t believe it. He can!" Matviyenko said. "It’s obvious though that far from everyone wants to do so," she said.
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In her view, the Ukrainian authorities need delays in implementing the agreements to maintain the image of enemy in the face of Russia and thereby distract the population from pressing problems inside the country.
"Since there is no constructive program of bringing the country out of the crisis, there are no reforms, the only way to keep people in fear is to explain that there is an external enemy, there is an aggressor - Russia, and all this is happening because of it," Matviyenko said.
"I believe this is a key point why the Minsk accords are not implemented," she said, adding that, when things get back on track, the Ukrainian authorities "will have to assume responsibility for their actions or, rather, inaction to restore order in the country."
"I think all these arguments are there. So far, they are not prepared and reluctant, otherwise the image of the aggressor in the face of Russia will disappear," Matviyenko said.
Ukrainian issue is getting off Russia-West agenda
According to the lawmaker, the so-called Ukrainian issue has been leaving the agenda of bilateral relations between Russia and foreign counterparts.
"Believe me, our foreign contacts demonstrate that the Ukrainian issue has been leaving the agendas of both bilateral and multilateral negotiations," she said.
Foreign counterparts are "tired of this situation," she said. "Everyone wants and says differently, though, in reality, they understand the key to settling the problem is in the hands of the Ukrainian authorities, and our relations with the West make the independent policy."
She said the relations between Russia and the West "have become cool" and they have problems. "However, the door is not closed, and we continue the dialogue," she said promising Russia would search options to restore the relations. "But only in the national interests of Russia," she added.