Russian envoy: Kiev not prepared to comply with Minsk accords due to external factors

MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. The official Kiev is trying to attribute its unpreparedness and unwillingness to implement the Minsk agreements to external factors, Russia’s Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Alexander Lukashevich has said speaking at a meeting of the organization’s Permanent Council dedicated to the situation in Ukraine.

"The key to resolving the crisis in Ukraine is still in Kiev’s hands," he said. "Unfortunately, the Ukrainian colleague’s speech signals the unwillingness of the Ukrainian authorities to work on the implementation of the Minsk agreements."

According to Lukashevich, all efforts of the official Kiev are focused on "attempts to ascribe its unwillingness or unpreparedness to implement the peace settlement plan, above all, its political part, to external factors."

"Even the amendments to Ukraine’s Constitution that were presented as part of the implementation of the Minsk accords have not been passed," Lukashevich said. "Furthermore, these amendments are the ‘domestic product’ of the authorities in Kiev. They were not agreed with representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk, as envisaged in the Package of Measures." "However, even this half measure has not been brought to a conclusion," Russia’s OSCE envoy said. "The prospects for their endorsement remain vague. Moreover, some preconditions that run counter to the Package of Measures are put forward."

According to him, Kiev applies the same logic to other provisions of the Minsk agreements - to promise anything and fulfill nothing." "As far as we know, Rada has no plans to pass any laws in terms of implementing the Minsk accords during the forthcoming session," he said.