Former Austrian vice-chancellor calls Merkel’s words about Minsk agreements ‘frightening’

The statement of the ex-Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel about the Minsk agreements is frightening in its frankness. This statement was made by former Vice-Chancellor of Austria Heinz-Christian Strache during his speech at a panel discussion in Vienna.

“Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the Minsk agreements were not taken seriously and were signed to give Ukraine time, <...> in some sense to prepare for a possible military development. It is frightening with what frankness Mrs. Merkel speaks about this, ”he said (quote according to TASS).

Strache also noted Merkel’s composure when she talked about the Minsk agreements. According to him, such words undermine the basis for trust.

On December 7, Merkel, in an interview with Die Zeit, said that “everyone understood” that the Minsk agreements only froze the conflict in eastern Ukraine, but did not solve it. According to her, the 2014 agreements gave Kyiv “priceless time.”

The words of the ex-Chancellor of Germany were commented by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. She is named Merkel’s statement “an application for a tribunal.” According to her, such a confession was made for the first time and only confirmed what [российские власти] have been talking for years.”

In the Kremlin remindedthat Russian President Vladimir Putin said from the very beginning that Kyiv does not want to comply with the Minsk agreements and is playing for time. By words Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, the failure to comply with the Minsk agreements was the forerunner of a special operation in Ukraine.

Putin in turn declaredthat disappointed by Merkel’s remarks. He noted that the words of the ex-Chancellor of Germany were “absolutely unexpected” for him. Russian leader addedthat the Russian Federation should have started a special operation earlier.

The Trilateral Contact Group (authorized by Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE) in September 2014 signed the first Minsk agreements, which ended the active part of the hostilities in the south-east of Ukraine. The second Minsk agreements stopped the escalation of the conflict in February 2015 in the Debaltseve region and were signed with the participation of Germany and France.

The Minsk package of measures included a ceasefire in the southeast of the country, the withdrawal of weapons, an amnesty, the resumption of economic ties, as well as a constitutional reform in Ukraine. Its result was to be the decentralization of power in Ukraine, taking into account the granting of a special status to certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. However, the Minsk agreements were never implemented.