The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of disrupting the opening of the checkpoint in Donbas. Kiev called it “a flurry of emotions”

The Russian Foreign Ministry has responded to a joint statement by the German and French Foreign Ministries on November 13. In it, the parties called on Russia to influence the LPR and DPR to open checkpoints in Zolote and Shchastya. In Russia, they believe that it is necessary to influence Kiev, which is to blame for the disruption of the opening of checkpoints.

The comment by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the statement was posted on the agency’s Facebook.

At first, the Foreign Ministry spokesman cited a passage from the statement, according to which Ukraine allegedly took measures to improve conditions at checkpoints before winter and alleviate the suffering of people in eastern Ukraine.

“We are astonished by such a liberal interpretation of events. Berlin and Paris are well aware that the planned simultaneous opening of the Zolote and Shchastya checkpoints on the contact line on November 10 was interrupted by Kiev.”
According to the parameters agreed between Ukraine and Lugansk, the “Happiness” checkpoint was to be used exclusively for vehicles, including humanitarian convoys. However, Kiev rejected the agreement just before the opening of this checkpoint, and instead opened it to pedestrians on November 10, even though it knew that Lugansk was not ready to operate the checkpoint in this format. ” Zakharova said.

He added that it is not surprising that Lugansk regards this as a provocation.

“The Kiev authorities cynically used people’s desire to return home to their families, so they had to wait in vain at the checkpoint. Kiev did not respond to numerous calls to agree on the details of the passage of bus in Zolote … Kiev showed disdain for its citizens, the majority of whom – elderly people with health problems, “the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also added that Kiev constantly postponed the negotiation of the conditions for the passage of the humanitarian convoy through the Happiness checkpoint to Lugansk, which was due to take place on November 17.

“Should these steps improve conditions at checkpoints and make life easier for people suffering from the fact that Germany and France praise Ukraine? In this context, their call to immediately open all existing checkpoints in the contact line, despite the epidemiological situation, sounds cynical. Furthermore, it is directed at Russia, which has nothing to do with this situation, such as Germany and France, “Zakharova said in a statement.

Furthermore, Russia is surprised by “the absence of a critical reaction to the systematic attempts by Ukrainian officials to repudiate the Minsk accords.” An extreme manifestation of this policy in Moscow was considered Kiev’s proposal for a draft “plan of joint steps by the members of the Trilateral Contact Group on the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, which “contradicts the letter and spirit of the Minsk Package of Measures 2015 “.

“This plan and the recent Ukrainian bills on the internment of Russian citizens and the punishment for refusing to acknowledge the fact of ‘aggression’ by Russia give a clear idea of ​​the so-called B and C plans, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned several times, “believes the Foreign Ministry.

The department interpreted the refusal of Berlin and Paris to heed these events as an endorsement of Kiev’s attempts to undermine the foundations of the conflict settlement formulated in the Minsk package of measures and approved by the UN Security Council.

“Our partners in the Normandy format should abandon their double standards and duplicity and instead take the path of impartial assistance to restore peace in southeastern Ukraine. If France and Germany have other goals, they should directly and openly declare it. “he urged. Maria Zakharova.

Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation supported the position of the representative of the “LPR” Olga Kobtseva, who expressed her disagreement with the fact that the Ukrainian side made the new checkpoint “Happiness” a pedestrian, not a car, as previously agreed in the TCG. As for “Zolote”, Kobtseva reported that Kiev did not agree with the “LPR” the schedule of checkpoints and the operation of buses in the neutral zone between checkpoints.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry responded to Zakharova’s statement.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry interpreted the assessment of the joint German-French statement as “a wave of emotion, unfounded criticism and manipulative accusations.”

“They do not correspond to reality and are an unsuccessful attempt to justify the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine and the unwillingness of the Russian side to take at least minimal measures to alleviate the humanitarian situation, facilitate the smooth implementation of contacts between citizens of Ukraine on both sides of the demarcation line, “department under the leadership of Dmitry Kuleba.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also categorically rejected Zakharova’s accusations regarding attempts by the Ukrainian side to deny the Minsk agreements.

“The draft plan of joint steps of the TCG participants on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, which was prepared at the initiative of the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG Leonid Kravchuk and recently presented to the Trilateral Contact Group for consideration, contains practical proposals for a complete end to the conflict, the demilitarization of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and the creation of conditions for the holding of local elections in Donbass, fully corresponds to the spirit and letter of the Package of Measures for Implementation of the 2015 Minsk Accords “, assured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Regarding the work of the checkpoint, the department pointed out: as of November 10, the “Felicidad” checkpoint began to operate, where citizens can use the services of the Center for the provision of administrative services, a bank branch, as well as a mother and son room.

A service center has been opened at the Schastye checkpoint, which provides for the provision of more than 80 services, which will greatly facilitate the solution of a number of humanitarian problems for our citizens living in the temporarily occupied territories. Work continues to improve services for the civilian population at the Zolote checkpoint. informed the Chancellery.

U Kuleba ended the comment by stating that “illegal armed groups continue to prevent citizens from freely crossing the line of contact.”

Previously, “Strana” wrote that the checkpoints at Zolote and Happiness were never opened.

We also examined the draft law on the internment of Russian citizens mentioned by Zakharova.