Today marks exactly one year since the Vladimir Zelensky’s inauguration, enough time to sum up the first results of his presidency, DPR Minister of Foreign Affairs Natalya Nikonorova stated.
“We remember perfectly well those slogans and promises that presidential candidate Zelensky announced a year ago to win the electorate, such as “we must stop shooting to end the war in Donbass, and “it is people just like us who live in Donbass”, and “we will negotiate with everyone, so that no one else would die”. However, the Ukrainian armed groups have not stopped attacking our territory any less, they kill civilians, not only adults but also children suffer injuries, and destroy an enormous number of houses, buildings and critical infrastructure,” Nikonorova stressed.
According to her, the Ukrainian party continues to sabotage constructive talks, and the methods of sabotage are the same as under Poroshenko’s rule.
“Zelensky’s team, just like Poroshenko’s team, reshuffles representatives to the Contact Group and working subgroups, refuses from direct dialogue under fictitious pretexts, and hones its skills in rhetoric when it is high time they got to the matter at hand. Let us remind you that Zelensky’s party has the majority of votes in the parliament, accordingly, they have all the conditions for productive work. However, Ukraine has never submitted any draft regulation for the Contact Group’s consideration. Moreover, Ukraine refuses to negotiate additional ceasefire control measures and new disengagement areas. The legal clearance of the exchangees has not been completed, pensions and wage arrears are not paid. Ukraine does not suggest anything reasonable to solve these issues, and also rejects all our proposals without explanation. And the situation around the implementation of the political section of the Set of Measures is even sadder: representatives of Ukraine are unable to draw up and provide even basic things, such as a list of regulations for the Contact Group’s approval.
Thus, the first anniversary of Zelensky’s presidency has been marked not only by the aggravating political chaos and socio-economic crisis in Ukraine, but also by an even greater alienation from Donbass. The Ukrainian president yet does not realize that if he keeps following such a policy of inactivity, indifference and disregard to his obligations under the Minsk Agreements, peace is impossible, unless it is Goloborodko’s fabulous universe. It is high time the leader of the Ukrainian state made every effort to engage in a direct and constructive dialogue with representatives of Donbass, if he really wants to resolve the conflict. He also ought to start listening not to fake immigrants, but the real Donbass residents who have stayed in their hometowns and want to live peacefully again,” reads the statement.