The UN Security Council, with Russia serving as its president, held a debate on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements and the situation in Ukraine. The Minsk Agreements were supported unanimously by the United Nations seven years ago through Resolution 2202.
Speaking on behalf of the Russian Federation, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin pointed to the failure over seven years to implement the Minsk Agreements, which essentially call for a federal organization of Ukraine, with greater autonomy for Donetsk and Luhansk within it. Despite claims that Russia is not living up to its “obligations” under the agreements, they do not mention “Russia” at all. In fact, Vershinin cited a judge on the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, who recently proposed criminal prosecution of those Ukrainians who helped draft the Minsk Agreements, on the basis that they place 20 obligations on Ukraine, 6 on the OSCE, two on the Donbass, and zero on Russia.
Vershinin expressed his disappointment with the “ostrich-like approach” of other nations, ignoring the non-implementation of the agreements.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that everyone wants the Minsk Agreements to be implemented, but it is Russia which is not living up to its end of the bargain. The greatest threat to world peace and security, he claimed, is “ Russia’s looming aggression against Ukraine,” which he said poses a fundamental challenge to the rules-based order. He did manage to keep a straight face while claiming that no country can dictate to others the foreign policy choices they make.
Blinken backed up his claim that Russia is prepared to use its 150,000 troops in the area to invade Ukraine in days, via a false inciting event: “Russia plans to manufacture a pretext for its attack. This could be a violent event that Russia will blame on Ukraine or outrageous accusations that Russia will level against the Ukraine government. We don’t know exactly the form it will take.” In response to the manufactured crisis, Russia would hold theatrical meetings, Blinken predicted, and then the war would commence. Kiev itself would be targeted.
