Russian site Ukraina.ru published a story claiming that the leaders of France and Germany consider that Ukraine has failed to comply with the Minsk agreements, the hasty peace deal between Ukraine, Russia and Russian backed separatists signed in 2015. The story is based on a quote from Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The story has no quotes or direct references from the leaders of France or Germany.
After a working breakfast that leaders of Germany, France and Russia held during the recent G20 summit, Peskov said that the three had talked about the situation in eastern Ukraine and noted that “the Minsk agreements are not being carried out, in many respects they are not being carried out by Kyiv, particularly the political part of the agreements”. Peskov then added his own opinion, which he presented as the view of the French and German leaders: “The fact of the matter is that it’s difficult not to admit this: the Minsk agreement contains a list of political steps that Kyiv must fulfill. And it does not occur to anyone to dispute the fact that Kyiv is not doing this.”
This fake story was carried by RIA Novosti, TASS, Sputnik,Times.com.ua, Svobodnaya pressa and other Russian media.
Neither Chancellor Merkel nor President Macron made any statements even remotely similar to what Peskov claimed they said. Merkel said that the Minsk process will continue, “progress has been very, very slow – with stagnation in some cases, relapses in others. We didn’t gloss over the situation.” Emmanuel Macron pointed out how complicated the situation in eastern Ukraine is, that is why negotiations must continue.
The Kremlin regularly accuses Ukraine of not adhering to the Minsk accords while refusing to carry out its commitments under the accords, principally withdrawing heavy weapons and restoring Ukraine’s control over its eastern border. Despite considerable evidence of Moscow’s troops and weapons support for the separatists, Russia denies that it is a party to the conflict in the Donbas.
