ST. PETERSBURG, June 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called not to shift responsibility for the implementation of the Minsk agreements entirely onto Russia.
"These are by no means secret agreements - the entire text is available in the internet. It reads: to amend the constitution [Ukrainian] by the end of 2015. But we cannot do it instead of Kiev politicians," Putin said at a news conference after talks with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
As another example of non-fulfilment of the Minsk agreements, he cited the law on amnesty that has already been passed but not signed. "I am not the president of Ukraine, I cannot sign this law instead of the Ukrainian president," he said.
Another provision is "to implement the law on special status - it was adopted but has not been enforced and adjourned in a tricky way - they amended article 10 which has postponed its enforcement." "There can be no end to such maneuvering," he said.
"It is inadmissible to shift onto us what we cannot do," the Russian president stressed.
"I understand that it is not easy to make such decisions in the present-day Ukraine. They [such decisions] require enormous political courage and support from both the population and key political forces. But since they have signed that [the Minsk agreements], they must implement them somehow," Putin said.
"The European partner should see it and not shift the entire responsibility of the development on us, especially on the matters which are outside our competences. Instead, they’d better work with their allies in Kiev if they really wish good to the Ukrainian people," he said.
"It is necessary to help get out of this vicious circle, it is necessary to establish direct dialogue, direct contact and direct talks between the conflicting parties [in Ukraine]," Putin underscored.
Should real progress be reached in Ukrainian settlement, Russia, in his words, will be ready to take first steps to drop trade restrictions. "If at some point we see that everything necessary is done [on the Ukrainian settlement], we will be ready to be the first to take a step, including concerning various restrictions in the sphere of trade and economy," he added.