Volker: Russia does not want to discuss Donbas situation during Ukrainian elections
US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that Moscow is not showing any interest in arranging a meeting between Russian Presidential Aide Vladislav Surkov and himself or in taking action to resolve the conflict in the Donbas during the presidential campaign in Ukraine.
“We are always in favor of meeting and talking. Russia is not showing any interest or progress whatsoever in this regard. In fact, they said that they don’t want to do anything during the presidential elections,” Volker told Interfax-Ukraine during the Munich Security Conference, which ended on 17 February.
The special representative reiterated the US’s stance on the need to implement the Minsk agreements to resolve the situation in the occupied part of the Donbas. However, he admitted that the agreements are not working as they should.
“They have never worked well, because Russia has refused to implement them. There has been no ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons or cooperation in this matter,” Volker observed.
The armed conflict in the Donbas has been raging since 2014, after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of giving armed support to the separatists. The Kremlin denies these accusations, claiming that there are only Russian “volunteers” in the Donbas. According to the UN, the conflict has claimed more than 10,000 lives.