MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Moscow assumes that the Minsk Agreements for Donbas ceased to be valid through the fault of Kyiv, which trampled them, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said on Tuesday.
"We believe that Kyiv trampled them by its actions, which is why, regrettably, they are no longer valid. But it was not our choice. Throughout eight years, we did all we could to try to save these agreements, though it was very difficult. But, regrettably, we could not do that. The events of the past week showed that an escalation was imminent. In actual fact, the third attempt to seize Donbas by force is being planned," Rudenko told reporters in Moscow when asked by Interfax whether it is possible to say that the Minsk accords were 'buried'.
"You see what is happening both as regards strikes and the evacuation of people. That's why, we thought that the time of the Minsk accords was obviously over," he said.