Russia to Remain Committed to Minsk Deal in 2016

Russia has declared that it will remain committed to the terms of a ceasefire deal between the Kiev government and pro-Russia forces in Ukraine Press T.V reported.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Thursday that Moscow will continue to respect the terms of a deal known as the Minsk 2 agreement, which was reached earlier this year.

“It is already clear that they (the Minsk agreements) are being extended,” said Karasin, adding that the agreement has not mentioned any time limits for the parties to the deal.

 The senior diplomat said, however, that what matters most for Russia is the “peaceful settlement of the conflict in the south-eastern part of Ukraine.”

Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine reached an agreement in the Belarusian capital after their previous efforts for establishing a truce failed. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) currently monitors the truce on the ground.

The crisis in Ukraine began last year, with Kiev and its Western allies accusing Russia of having a major hand in the conflict. Russia denies any involvement, but has vowed to keep supporting the ethnic Russian population living in east and south of Ukraine.

Clashes erupted in east Ukraine after Kiev launched military operations in April 2014 to silence pro-Russia forces in regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. The conflict also has roots in the result of a 2014 referendum in Ukraine’s Crimea which ended with the Black Sea peninsula rejoining the Russian Federation.

R.S