The Ukrainian parliament has passed a bill on the reintegration of the Donbas region, currently controlled by separatists. The German government is examining the legislation for compliance with the Minsk agreements, stated federal government spokesperson Steffen Seibert. Ukraine, he said, is a victim of aggression.
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The German government cannot make any final assessment of the reintegration bill passed by the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on Thursday 18 January, said government spokesperson Steffen Seibert at Friday’s government press conference. "But the context is that Ukraine is a victim of Russian-backed aggression," said the spokesperson.
In the view of Ukraine, the legislation is "aligned with Minsk". The German government still has to review this, explained Steffen Seibert. Minsk is "the framework, to which the German government has also contributed, that has been put in place for seeking peace". This framework remains unchanged and Ukraine has committed to respect the framework.
The reintegration act now passed by the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, must still be signed by President Petro Poroshenko before it can come into effect. The classification of the Donbas as occupied territory would enable Ukrainian security organs to take special measures in the area.
For almost four years now, Ukraine has been in the grips of a military conflict, Steffen Seibert continued. The context is "of course that the separatists have received ongoing military support from Russia in the form of weapons and other equipment," he noted. It is also "indisputable" that Russian forces are on Ukrainian territory. "This is not incorrect," said the spokesperson.
The Federal Foreign Office spokesperson, Rainer Breul, stated once again unequivocally on behalf of the German government that the crucial factor is the readiness to engage in dialogue and negotiate on the basis of the Minsk agreements. This new act of the Ukrainian parliament "expressly commits to seeing a peaceful solution to the conflict and does not aim to escalate the situation".
Much has already been said about Russia’s role in this conflict. The German government has repeatedly reasserted that "we do not accept the annexation of Crimea". Russia is expected to use its influence in order to achieve progress in the Minsk process. The crucial factor is "what brings us forward on the way to finding a solution to the conflict," said the spokesperson.