UNITED NATIONS, United States, Feb 12, 2021 (AFP) – The US and Europe on
Thursday accused Russia of blocking any solution to the conflict in eastern
Ukraine.
The remarks came during a UN Security Council video conference convened by
Moscow to mark the sixth anniversary of the Minsk II accords, agreed in
February 2015 to end the war in the Donbass region.
“Russia must immediately cease its aggression in eastern Ukraine and end
its occupation of Crimea,” said US diplomat Rodney Hunter.
“We call on Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, cease its support
for its proxies and other armed groups, and implement all of the commitments
it made under the Minsk agreements.”
A joint declaration condemning ongoing instability in the Donetsk and
Luhansk regions was issued by European members of the Security Council, as
well as Germany, which along with France co-sponsored the Minsk accords
between Moscow and Kiev.
“By the use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of
Ukraine, Russia is clearly violating fundamental principles of international
law,” the declaration states.
“We again call on the Russian Federation to immediately stop fueling the
conflict by providing financial and military support to the armed formations
it backs, and we remain deeply concerned about the presence of Russian
military equipment and personnel in the non-government-controlled areas of
Ukraine.”
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, rejected the Western
condemnation and accused Ukraine of not implementing Minsk accord measures,
with backing from French and German “protectors.”
He also accused Kiev of “total indifference” to Donbass residents.
– ‘Cannot do its job’ –
His German counterpart Christoph Heusgen, who took part in the Minsk
negotiations under Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, said the Russian
ambassador failed to mention Moscow’s shortcomings on removal of heavy
weapons under the accords.
“Until today, the Russian heavy weapons have not been withdrawn from the
line of command and control in violation of the Minsk agreements,” Heusgen
said.
Without access to the border between Ukraine and Russia, an area that is
beyond control of Kiev, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission to the region “cannot do its job,” Heusgen
added.
“Therefore Russia can, day after day, ship soldiers and armament into
Luhansk and Donetsk,” he said.
France’s ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, called Russia’s
statements against France and Germany “unfounded.”
Rosemary DiCarlo, under-secretary-general for political and peace-building
affairs, said until a sustainable political solution is found, the situation
on the ground will remain “fragile.”
“The risk of backsliding is real if negotiations become deadlocked,” she
said.
“We are deeply concerned by the increase in security incidents in several
hotspots along the contact line in recent months. This dangerous trend needs
to be quickly reversed.”
Ukraine has been fighting separatists backed by Russia in the Donetsk and
Luhansk regions in Donbass since 2014 following Moscow’s annexation of the
Crimean peninsula.
Since then, more than 13,000 people have died and nearly 1.5 million have
been displaced.
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of sending troops and arms to
support the separatists, claims Moscow denies.