Ukrainian Interior Minister Believes Minsk Agreements 'Freeze' Donbas Conflict

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th November, 2018) Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov believes that the Minsk agreements on the Donbas settlement do not lead to a solution to the conflict in the region, but encourage its "freezing," the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Avakov held a meeting with the executive vice president at the US Institute of Peace, William Taylor, and the parties discussed the situation in the Donbas.

"The Minsk agreements, which remain the only institutional plan for the cessation of hostilities, essentially lead to a freeze, not a solution to the armed conflict in Donbas," the statement said.

Avakov also said he considered the experience of the US Institute of Peace to be useful for the settlement of the conflict in Donbas.

The conflict in Donbas started in 2014, when Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed republics that refused to recognize the new government in Kiev, which came to power after what they considered to be a coup.

In February 2015, the warring parties signed the Minsk peace accords to end the hostilities in the region, but the situation has remained tense, with both parties accusing each other of ceasefire violations.