MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Kiev’s statements about its intentions to de-escalate tensions in Donbass sound ‘deceitful’ given the recent scheme to legalize the presence of foreign troops on Ukrainian soil, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
The Russian diplomat underscored that in recent days Ukrainian legislators passed an amendment to simplify the process for foreign military instructors to acquire Ukrainian citizenship.
"The Ukrainian authorities are not only trying to legalize the presence of foreign military servicemen on its territory, but also to get around the provisions of the Minsk Accords on the withdrawal of foreign military detachments, military hardware and foreign mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine," Zakharova told journalists.
"In view of this situation, statements by the Ukrainian authorities on their intentions to de-escalate tensions in Donbass sound deceitful," she added.
Zakharova also noted the lack of progress on the political aspects of the Donbass settlement.
"The latest Ukrainian initiatives touted in the media about some kind of ’10 Steps’ to unblock the peace process, in fact duplicate the provisions as stipulated by the Minsk Accords, which Kiev keeps sabotaging by resorting to all possible means," she pointed out.
"These aren’t any 10 Steps forward, but 100 Steps back," Zakharova continued. "Ukraine is playing an active part in the US-fomented media crusade aimed at ramping up hysteria in regards to the alleged preparations ‘of Russia’s military invasion.’ This is obvious to us."
The diplomat stressed that within the framework of this campaign numerous inspections of bomb shelters and alert systems were carried out in Ukraine, while the country also started digging ditches and trenches along the state border’s perimeter.
"I have no clue why they started digging, perhaps to bury the remains of their conscience," she said ironically. " All this is done in order to distract the public’s attention from their unfulfilled obligations to end the war in Donbass, from the dire situation in the country on all fronts, from the worsening socio-economic situation, from the energy price hikes, from the curtailment of freedom of speech, from the violations of the rights of the Russian-speaking population. This list goes on almost endlessly."
"We are calling again on the Western patrons of Ukraine, and this includes international organizations, which try not to notice the ongoing developments there, to stop looking the other way or ignoring the actions of Kiev’s regime and to finally exert minimum efforts to inspire it toward the fulfilment of the Minsk Accords," she said.
"It is necessary to encourage it [the Kiev regime] to begin implementing the Minsk Accords, which is an essential step for establishing a long-lasting peace not only in Donbass, but on the whole on a European scale," Zakharova added.