France named the person responsible for the failure of the Minsk process

The Russian Federation bears the greatest responsibility for the failure of the Minsk negotiation process. The Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the UN Natalia Broadhurst expressed this on Monday, February 12, at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the anniversary of the signing of the Minsk agreements, Ukrinform wrote.

The diplomat said that Russia “contributed to the growth of tension in Donbass for seven years.”

He recalled that in 2016 Russia withdrew from the ceasefire verification mechanism.

“Russia refuses to negotiate honestly, saying it is acting as a mediator, although it is clearly a party to the conflict. Its goal initially is to destabilize Ukraine,” Broadhurst emphasized.

The French representative added that until February 24, 2022, when the Russian army launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, “there is a possibility of a peaceful settlement.”

“France and Germany put a lot of effort into the negotiations within the Normandy Format. In the days and weeks before the invasion, the French President and the German Chancellor intensified de-escalation efforts. Tirelessly and sincerely- “The two countries tried very hard from 2015 to 2022 to help Russia and Ukraine in the position for the introduction of the Minsk agreements,” said the diplomat.

The Russian Federation said the failure to comply with the Minsk agreements by other participants was the prelude to a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Lukashenko and Putin were angered by Merkel’s statement on the Minsk agreements