[51][52] By 16 February, Minsk II seemed on the verge of collapse. And that is exactly what they want to do.. What is the Minsk Agreement and why did Putin say it no longer exists? 'Unprecedented interference' - Ukraine Ukrainian authorities, in contrast, had "strongly protested the decree as an unprecedented interference by the Russian Federation in the country's internal affairs and a violation of sovereigntycontrary to the Minsk Agreements", she added. Russian, Ukrainian, and European officials have also reiterated their support for the deal in recent weeks. Go look at my pinned tweet, there are audio receipts etc. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? Series of agreements to stop the Donbas War. As world leaders scramble to find a diplomatic solution over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine tensions, talk has turned to the 2015 Minsk Agreement as a possible way out of the crisis. Amy Mackinnon is a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy. Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. "Armed forces of Ukraine have rudely violated the ceasefire regime, using heavy weapons, which, according to the Minsk agreements, should be withdrawn," the Russian backed rebels from the Luhansk . This transpired after Crimea's annexation by Russia. Is Weiss correct? [1] The first, known as the Minsk Protocol, was drafted in 2014 by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, consisting of Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE),[2][3][4] with mediation by the leaders of France and Germany in the so-called Normandy Format. A central disagreement between Moscow and Kyiv is what order those things should happen in. "[94], A dispute emerged over the role of the Russian Federation, with the parties understanding Minsk as an agreement between Ukraine and Russia,[95][96][97][98] but Russian officials claiming the role of mediator, insisted that Ukraine negotiate directly with representatives of the self-proclaimed separatist republics in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk. read more. Points one and two of the deal call for a cease-fire and for heavy weaponry to be pulled back, both of which are to be monitored by the OSCE. Delivered Wednesday. Monitoring and verification by the OSCE. Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider.