Why Russia invaded Ukraine? Kremlin explains, again
Russia-Ukraine War: The Minsk agreements were ceasefire and constitutional reform deals agreed between Kyiv and Russian-backed separatist forces.
Russia invaded Ukraine because its was concerned about Minsk agreements being ignored, Kremlin said, as reported by Russian news agencies quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. The Minsk agreements were ceasefire and constitutional reform deals agreed between Kyiv and Russian-backed separatist forces. The agreements were brokered in 2014 and 2015 by Russia, France and Germany.
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As Russian president Vladimir Putin saw the failure to implement the agreements, he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February this year. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating the Minsk agreements.
The reply from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov came as he was asked whether Russia understood that it was being "deceived" over the Minsk accords. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "Over time, of course, it became obvious.
"And, again, President Putin and our other representatives constantly kept saying this," the TASS news agency quoted Dmitry Peskov as saying.
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“But this was all ignored by the other participants of the negotiation process. This is all precisely the precursor to the special military operation,” Dmitry Peskov added.
Earlier, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of the agreements' sponsors, told the Zeit magazine that the 2014 agreement had been "an attempt to give Ukraine time"- which Kyiv had used to become more able to defend itself.
Russian media and politicians quickly slammed this as a betrayal on Angela Merkel's part.
