Western Pressure on Kiev Essential to Implement Minsk Accords

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The West’s influence on Ukraine is prerequisite for the implementation of the Minsk accords on the country’s reconciliation, a lawmaker from the German left-wing Die Linke party told Sputnik on Thursday commenting on today's statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a televised "Direct Line" Q&A session on Thursday, Putin said that Russia had fulfilled its responsibilities under the Minsk agreements and urged the West to pressure Kiev to implement the deal.

"… it is very clear for me, that the West should do more to push Ukraine to fulfill its share. The implementation of Minsk II is as well very much dependent on this pressure," Andrej Hunko said.

Hunko added that there could be no excuses for failure to implement the Minsk accords, as this is the only way forward for Ukraine.

"There should be no excuses for not implementing Minsk II. Everybody has to understand, that the road to peace and cooperation is in the interest of the people of Ukraine, of Russia and of the European Union," the German lawmaker concluded.

The Minsk deal on Ukraine’s reconciliation was struck in February 2015 by Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France and later signed by Kiev and the Donbas militia. Both warring parties have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce despite agreeing to the ceasefire deal.