UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have discussed the situation around Ukraine, stressing the need to implement the Minsk agreements, Johnson’s office said. “The leaders reiterated states’ responsibility to abide by their obligations under the United Nations Charter and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of UN members. The Prime Minister and Secretary-General also reaffirmed the importance of all parties working in good faith to implement the Minsk Agreements,” the UK prime minister’s office said in a statement on late Wednesday. The conflict in Donbas between Ukraine’s government and the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics has been going on since 2014.
The Minsk Agreements, designed to find a political resolution to the conflict, were negotiated by the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine — the Normandy group — in February 2015. However, the agreement has so far not been observed and sporadic clashes continue. Moscow has repeatedly stated that Kiev is not fulfilling the Minsk agreements and is delaying negotiations to resolve the conflict. The situation in Ukraine is currently drawing international attention because of the West’s fears that Russia could “invade” Ukraine. Moscow says it has no plans to invade any neighbouring country.
