US pushing Ukraine toward war: Russia
Moscow says Washington is pushing Ukraine toward war by supporting a bill that has been passed by the Ukrainian parliament and that gives limited self-governance status to some regions in the restive east.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday also slammed US Vice President Joe Biden for the endorsement of the bill, which he said may undermine the Minsk agreements over Ukraine.
“Since Washington welcomes the move that undermines the Minsk agreements, one can only conclude that Washington is pushing Kiev toward a military resolution of the problem,” Lavrov said.
He was speaking during a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari in the Russian capital, Moscow.
The bill outlines the boundaries of particular districts in the areas under pro-Russians’ control that could be granted special status with limited self-rule. The bill also says that areas controlled by the pro-Russians in Donetsk and Luhansk will be granted their special status after holding elections in accordance with Ukrainian law and under international observation.
The bill was also criticized by the pro-Russians of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Washington of fueling unrest in eastern Ukraine. Kiev says the US has expressed readiness to start training Ukrainian armed troops.
Ukraine’s warring sides reached a deal, dubbed Minsk II, at a summit attended by the leaders of Russia, France, and Germany in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk on February 11 and 12. The agreement introduced measures such as a ceasefire, which took effect on February 15, the pullout of heavy weapons, and constitutional reform in Ukraine by the end of the year.
The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk have been hit by deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in April last year to crush pro-Russia protests there.
More than 6,000 people have died in the conflict, the UN says. Around 1.5 million people have been also forced from their homes over the past months of the turmoil.
DB/HJL
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