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Putin advises Normandy Four to insist on full adherence to Minsk-2

Russia is convinced that Minsk deal should be observed fully, Vladimir Putin told the Eastern Economic Forum

VLADIVOSTOK, September 3. /TASS/. Russia is convinced the Minsk agreements on settlement of the situation in Ukraine’s Donbass should be observed fully, and the guarantor-countries should also insist on this, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin told the Eastern Economic Forum on Saturday.

"In my opinion, and here I agree fully with the Normandy Format participants, and also with the position of the United States, too, - there no alternative other than fulfilment of the Minsk agreements," he said, adding Kiev had not adopted the necessary laws as per Minsk-2 accords. 

"Our position is that the Minsk agreements should be fully adhered to, without any restrictions, without any limitations or double talk," the president stressed. "We shall sincerely strive towards this, but we cannot do it on our own, this should be done together with us, the Normandy Format members, and the US, as only they have any realistic influence on the current authorities in Kiev." Putin said "without a political will of the Ukrainian leaders it would be impossible to achieve."

"In the long run, everything depends on them."

The Russian president said the "Ukrainian political crisis developed not because of our fault - we did not support the anti-constitutional coup in Ukraine and we did not provoke a reaction from some people in that country to those actions." The situation developed so, that Crimea wanted to be a part of Russia, and "Donetsk and Lugansk began opposing the regime, which immediately after the coup wanted to establish its power there."

Speaking about Crimea, Putin said this issue is closed historically

"The people of Crimea made a decision, voted for it. The issue is closed historically, there is no whatsoever return to the previous system," he said, and his words were followed by applauses from the audience.