US presence in Ukraine violates Minsk deal: Analyst
Press TV has conducted an interview with Dmitry Babich, with the Voice of Russia Radio Station from Moscow, about US paratroopers training Ukraine government forces to battle pro-Russia forces in the east.
The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Mr. Babich, looking at the presence of these US troops on the ground in Ukraine, it just shows that the Ukrainian government is preparing for re-launch of hostilities with the east, doesn’t it?
Babich: Well unfortunately, it looks very much like that because there was sporadic resumption of violence at several points yesterday, so this is all very troubling. And turning to the subject of Minsk agreements, I would remind you that these agreements pre-supposed that all foreign fighters, or so-called instructors, should be removed from Ukraine.
So when the United States sends 300 paratroopers, who are going to stay for several months in Ukraine, and these paratroopers openly train the so-called volunteers involved in the fighting in the east of Ukraine, this is a clear breach of the Minsk agreements by the United States – a foreign country for Ukraine.
Press TV: Now if the Ukrainian government continues on this path, will there be any repercussions for it coming from the EU considering the closer ties that are seen being forged between the two?
Babich: Well the problem is that the EU so far has not uttered a single critical word about the activities of [Ukrainian] President [Petro] Poroshenko and his regime. Despite the fact that there were about 5,000 people killed, we did not hear a single critical word for Mr. Poroshenko from the EU leaders. He was met with standing ovations in all European capitals. He is receiving 17.5 billions of dollars in loans from the International Monetary Fund. So I do not expect the EU to be critical of Poroshenko despite the fact that the Ukrainian side is clearly breaching the Minsk agreements.
I would remind you that according to these agreements, Ukraine should lift the economic blockade of these two regions where three million people live. It should resume the supplies of food and the money transfers. The Ukrainian government did not do it. Also the Ukrainian government was supposed to give autonomy, some especial status to these areas, in exchange for these areas allowing Ukraine to re-establish its control over the border with Russia.
That was not done by the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian parliament declared these territories occupied, obviously occupied by Russia. So Ukraine did not fulfill the Minsk agreements and the United States and the EU blame Russia for not fulfilling these agreements.
AHK/MKA
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