Ukraine FM accuses Moscow of stalling progress on resolution in Donbas conflict

Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, on Saturday, blamed Russia for blocking Normandy Format talks on the resolution of the conflict over the southeast Donbas region. Calling for support from foreign nations to prevent further deterioration of the situation along the southeastern border, Kuleba, remarked that "2014 showed that the line between demonstration and use or power is extremely thin for Russia," ANI reported quoting Kuleba as told to Die Zeit. He highlighted that Kyiv's concerns are not just about military build-up but also about Moscow's de facto blocking of the format and the Trilateral Contact Group, which was an agreement to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the war in Donbas, and contributions to escalating tensions in Belarus.

When asked about the usage of a drone by Kyiv in violating the Minsk agreement and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the FM argued that Ukraine "met all the requirements before actually using a drone without violating Minsk." In a rather metaphorical statement, Kuleba noted that

"at the moment, Normandy and Minsk are in a coma, but they are still alive and we have to try to bring them back to consciousnesses," ANI reported, citing Die Zeit.

Kuleba's statement come a month after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed that Moscow was ready to hold a meeting on Normandy Format, a group of four nations - Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France established in June 2014- that aimed at resolving conflict in eastern Ukraine borders, only if Kyiv fulfills everything that was enshrined in the Minsk agreement.

Ukraine, UK 'no desire' to be adversarial towards Russia

In a joint statement released by Ukraine and the United Kingdom on November 17th, the defence ministers of both nations asserted that the governments do not wish to be adversarial or undermine Russia. However, they clarified that both the nations still are concerned by Moscow's military build-up along the Donbas region. The statement came after UK Secretary of Defence Ben Wallace and Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Yuriyovych Reznikov met to discuss the next stage in bilateral cooperation for enhancing defence capabilities and interoperability of Ukraine. 

"Our governments have no desire to be adversarial or seek in any way to strategically encircle or undermine the Russian Federation. We are concerned by Russia’s military build-up and activity around the borders of Ukraine," the joint statement read.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: @DmytroKuleba_Facebook)