The former German chancellor has disclosed that the accords were meant to \u2018give time\u2019 for Ukraine to strengthen its military<\/h3>\n\n![\"Merkel](\"https:\/\/mf.b37mrtl.ru\/files\/2022.12\/xxs\/639197f220302764ce7dc3f0.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/div>\n\nFILE PHOTO. Angela Merkel and Pyotr Poroshenko meet in 2019.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a9\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Tobias SCHWARZ \/ AFP<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nFormer German Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed her government\u2019s duplicity regarding the conflict in Ukraine by confirming that the 2014 ceasefire agreement was meant to give Kiev time to build up its military, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Zeit magazine published on Wednesday, Merkel said that the Minsk protocol brokered by Germany and France was\u00a0\u201can attempt to give Ukraine time,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0which it used to\u00a0\u201cbecome stronger\u201d<\/em>\u00a0as evidenced on the battlefield now. She was referring to the first of the two documents known collectively as the\u00a0\u201cMinsk agreements\u201d<\/em>\u00a0that were designed to help Kiev reconcile with rebels in the east, who had rejected the outcome of an armed coup in the capital in 2014.<\/p>\nBerlin and\u00a0\u201cby extension, the West\u201d<\/em>\u00a0never intended to implement the Minsk agreements, Zakharova concluded based on Merkel\u2019s remarks. The US and its allies\u00a0\u201csimulated supporting the UN Security Council resolution\u201d<\/em>\u00a0which endorsed the roadmap to peace while pumping weapons into Ukraine and\u00a0\u201cignored all crimes committed by the Kiev regime \u2026 for the sake of a decisive strike against Russia,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0she explained in a social media post on Thursday.<\/p>\nIn the Zeit interview, Merkel stated that Russia\u00a0\u201ccould easily have overrun\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Ukrainian troops in 2015, adding that she doubted that\u00a0\u201cNATO countries could have done as much then as they do now\u201d<\/em>. The second part of the Minsk agreements was signed in February 2015 amid a military defeat suffered by Ukrainian troops, which attempted to quash the Donbass militias.<\/p>\nMerkel\u2019s description of the accords coincides with that made by former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko, during whose tenure they were signed. Domestically, in August 2015, he stated that the peace deal was a ruse to give his government time for a military buildup. He said the same thing to Western audiences in June this year.<\/p>\n
Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February, citing Kiev\u2019s failure to implement the Minsk protocols, under which the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk would have been given special status within the Ukrainian state. The Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states, which have since voted to join Russia alongside Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.<\/p>\n
Russia also demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/picture><\/div>\nFILE PHOTO. Angela Merkel and Pyotr Poroshenko meet in 2019.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a9\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Tobias SCHWARZ \/ AFP<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nFormer German Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed her government\u2019s duplicity regarding the conflict in Ukraine by confirming that the 2014 ceasefire agreement was meant to give Kiev time to build up its military, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Zeit magazine published on Wednesday, Merkel said that the Minsk protocol brokered by Germany and France was\u00a0\u201can attempt to give Ukraine time,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0which it used to\u00a0\u201cbecome stronger\u201d<\/em>\u00a0as evidenced on the battlefield now. She was referring to the first of the two documents known collectively as the\u00a0\u201cMinsk agreements\u201d<\/em>\u00a0that were designed to help Kiev reconcile with rebels in the east, who had rejected the outcome of an armed coup in the capital in 2014.<\/p>\nBerlin and\u00a0\u201cby extension, the West\u201d<\/em>\u00a0never intended to implement the Minsk agreements, Zakharova concluded based on Merkel\u2019s remarks. The US and its allies\u00a0\u201csimulated supporting the UN Security Council resolution\u201d<\/em>\u00a0which endorsed the roadmap to peace while pumping weapons into Ukraine and\u00a0\u201cignored all crimes committed by the Kiev regime \u2026 for the sake of a decisive strike against Russia,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0she explained in a social media post on Thursday.<\/p>\nIn the Zeit interview, Merkel stated that Russia\u00a0\u201ccould easily have overrun\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Ukrainian troops in 2015, adding that she doubted that\u00a0\u201cNATO countries could have done as much then as they do now\u201d<\/em>. The second part of the Minsk agreements was signed in February 2015 amid a military defeat suffered by Ukrainian troops, which attempted to quash the Donbass militias.<\/p>\nMerkel\u2019s description of the accords coincides with that made by former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko, during whose tenure they were signed. Domestically, in August 2015, he stated that the peace deal was a ruse to give his government time for a military buildup. He said the same thing to Western audiences in June this year.<\/p>\n
Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February, citing Kiev\u2019s failure to implement the Minsk protocols, under which the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk would have been given special status within the Ukrainian state. The Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states, which have since voted to join Russia alongside Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.<\/p>\n
Russia also demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed her government\u2019s duplicity regarding the conflict in Ukraine by confirming that the 2014 ceasefire agreement was meant to give Kiev time to build up its military, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Zeit magazine published on Wednesday, Merkel said that the Minsk protocol brokered by Germany and France was\u00a0\u201can attempt to give Ukraine time,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0which it used to\u00a0\u201cbecome stronger\u201d<\/em>\u00a0as evidenced on the battlefield now. She was referring to the first of the two documents known collectively as the\u00a0\u201cMinsk agreements\u201d<\/em>\u00a0that were designed to help Kiev reconcile with rebels in the east, who had rejected the outcome of an armed coup in the capital in 2014.<\/p>\n Berlin and\u00a0\u201cby extension, the West\u201d<\/em>\u00a0never intended to implement the Minsk agreements, Zakharova concluded based on Merkel\u2019s remarks. The US and its allies\u00a0\u201csimulated supporting the UN Security Council resolution\u201d<\/em>\u00a0which endorsed the roadmap to peace while pumping weapons into Ukraine and\u00a0\u201cignored all crimes committed by the Kiev regime \u2026 for the sake of a decisive strike against Russia,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0she explained in a social media post on Thursday.<\/p>\n In the Zeit interview, Merkel stated that Russia\u00a0\u201ccould easily have overrun\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Ukrainian troops in 2015, adding that she doubted that\u00a0\u201cNATO countries could have done as much then as they do now\u201d<\/em>. The second part of the Minsk agreements was signed in February 2015 amid a military defeat suffered by Ukrainian troops, which attempted to quash the Donbass militias.<\/p>\n Merkel\u2019s description of the accords coincides with that made by former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko, during whose tenure they were signed. Domestically, in August 2015, he stated that the peace deal was a ruse to give his government time for a military buildup. He said the same thing to Western audiences in June this year.<\/p>\n Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February, citing Kiev\u2019s failure to implement the Minsk protocols, under which the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk would have been given special status within the Ukrainian state. The Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states, which have since voted to join Russia alongside Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.<\/p>\n Russia also demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n