Ukraine's MFA statement on Russia's violation of Geneva agreements
Illegal armed groups controlled by
the Russian security services continue operating at destabilization of the
situation in the eastern regions of Ukraine and creating grounds for a new
stage of military aggression.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
calls on the Russian side, according to the Geneva agreements, to publicly
dissociate itself from armed separatists and provocateurs, call them to
immediately surrender weapons and vacate the
illegally seized administrative buildings, condemn the
seizure by them of hostages, including journalists , as well as cases of
xenophobia and anti-Semitism spread by separatists.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Russia and as well as the Kremlin -controlled media have launched in the last
few days another wave of disinformation in order to mislead the international
community regarding true causes of the explosive situation in the eastern
regions of Ukraine.
We are obliged to reiterate the
absence of any evidence of “Pravyi Sektor’s” (the Right Sector) complicity
in the bloody shootout in Sloviansk, and therefore
that the unfounded and baseless allegations by the Russian side are seeking to
hide its subversive activities.
We observe that the Russian side has
no sign of readiness to perform the Geneva agreements. Due to lack of support
for the separatists among the population in the eastern regions of Ukraine,
Russia is seeking more and more ways to destabilize the situation in the
region, preparing and implementing numerous provocations through their agents.
Clearly adhering to the Geneva
agreements reached on 17 April, Ukraine has taken a number of important steps.
Suspended active
phase of the antiterrorist operation, which main objective is to prevent
civilian casualties.
The Government of Ukraine submitted
to the Parliament a draft law on amnesty for participants in the riots in the eastern regions, which would apply to those
protesters who surrender weapons and free illegally seized administrative
buildings, except for the ones suspected of committing capital crimes.
Ministry of Internal Affairs of
Ukraine and State Security Service continue implementing the active campaign to
seize illegal arms from the population.
On April 17 the Cabinet of Ministers
of Ukraine approved the decision "On the organizing the discussion of
amendments to the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine on decentralization
of state power," according to which the process of public discussion of
amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine is initiated.
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has
stepped up work on the Concept of local administrative reform and territorial
organization of power in Ukraine.
Ruling coalition invited all
political forces represented in the Parliament of Ukraine to sign a memorandum
of understanding regarding ways to resolve the situation in the East of
Ukraine.
Ukraine is openly and transparently
implementing the Geneva agreements, while constantly informing media and the
public, in close coordination with the OSCE Special
Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, representatives of the Swiss Chairmanship of the
OSCE, EU and the Russian Federation and U.S.
On April 19-21 three meetings were
held in this format. In particular, the representative of the Russian Embassy
attended at these meetings. Like other members of the meetings, he was able to
obtain detailed information on the state of implementation by Ukraine of the
Geneva agreements.
Ukraine urges the Russian side to
stop avoiding its responsibilities, put an end to the constant attempts to
thwart implementation of the Geneva agreements and to insure the fulfillment of
its obligations through concrete steps.