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Moscow warns Kiev against using force in Donbass — diplomat

Russia is calling on the Ukrainian government to stop coming up with new agreements and documents on Donbass regulation and to duly adhere to its obligations under the Minsk Agreements, according to the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/TASS

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Kremlin concerned about rising tensions in Donbass

MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. Russia warns Ukraine against attempting to carry out further de-escalation or using force in Donbass, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during Friday’s briefing.

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Kremlin says Moscow did not receive any Donbass settlement plan

"I would like to warn the Kiev regime and the hotheads that are serving it or manipulating it against further de-escalation and attempts to implement a forceful scenario in Donbass," she said, commenting on the statement of head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Contact Group for settlement in Donbass Leonid Kravchuk on some "radical steps" of Kiev if Russia refuses to recognize itself as a conflict side in eastern Ukraine.

The rhetoric of Ukrainian officials "gives reason to think about the true intentions of Kiev in this historical period," Zakharova pointed out. "Once again, we call on the Ukrainian government to stop coming up with some new agreements, new documents, and to finally start duly adhering to its obligations under the Minsk Agreements."

The spokeswoman stressed that Ukrainian officials regularly try to cover up their inaction and blatant sabotage of agreements reached earlier on settlement in eastern Ukraine with accusations against Russia and attempts to pass the buck. "At the same time, Kiev is trying to convince everyone that Moscow is allegedly a conflict side and that it allegedly has some obligations within the Minsk Package of Measures," she added.

Zakharova recalled that the Minsk Agreements clearly outline the conflict sides in Donbass as Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk. "The unwillingness of Ukrainian negotiators to recognize this fact and their refusal to find agreements with Donbass is the reason that hinders the establishment of long-lasting peace in the region," the diplomat noted.

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