Topic: - Minsk Agreement
Placement in the syllabus:- Union Public Service Commission, Mains, Paper-III, Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements affecting India and India's interests.
Model Questions: Explain what is the Minsk Agreement and how it affects global politics. (Word limit: 200 words)
The Russia-Ukraine crisis is at its peak. The Russian attack on Ukraine has not been officially confirmed, but Britain has said it has happened. Meanwhile, the US has said that Putin has flouted the Minsk agreement. Earlier, the head of political affairs of the United Nations, Rosemary A. DiCarlo had said that the current Russia-Ukraine dispute should be resolved under the Minsk Agreement in 2015.
After Russia's recognition of Ukraine's two separatist regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, discussion on the Minsk agreement has started all over the world. Let us know what is the Minsk Agreement and why is it being seen as a solution to the current Russia-Ukraine crisis?
What is Minsk Agreement?
The Minsk-1 agreement was reached first in 2014 and Minsk-2 in 2015 after bloody clashes between pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine. The agreement was signed in February 2015 in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, in the presence of the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. Under this, steps were to be taken to restore peace in those areas which were occupied by pro-Russian separatists. The separatist-held areas in Ukraine's Donbas region became known as the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic, respectively. The Ukrainian government said that by provoking the separatists, Russia has in a way occupied these areas.
What are the key points of the agreement?
The Minsk-2 agreement was signed by Russia, Ukraine, separatist leaders and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It was approved by bringing a proposal in the United Nations Security Council. On the night of 11 February 2015, heavy fighting was still going on between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists while the agreement was being reached. Ukraine was suffering tremendous losses from it.
There are 11 points of this agreement:-
The first condition of the agreement is an immediate ceasefire from both sides.
A buffer zone of 50-50 kilometers will be formed between the areas and Russia. Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists will remove their heavy weapons.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will oversee it.
From the very first day of the withdrawal of the forces, talks will begin on holding local elections.
Fighters involved in the battles for Donetsk and Luhansk will be pardoned.
Hostages and illegal prisoners will be released.
Both countries will provide humanitarian assistance to each other, which will be under international supervision.
Social and economic relations will be restored in the affected areas.
Ukraine will restore control of its country's border.
All armed foreign fighters would withdraw from Ukraine.
By the end of 2015, a constitutional reform will take place in Ukraine, the new constitution will enter into force.
The fighting came to a halt because of OSCE monitoring. However, there were intermittent violations of the ceasefire. However, these cases did not last long. Nevertheless, 14,000 people were killed and 1.5 million people were displaced in Ukraine due to the conflict from both sides.
Why struggle despite agreement?
Actually the Minsk agreement was done in a hurry. Russia signed it, but its role in the conflict was not outlined. The word 'Russia' is not even mentioned in the agreement document. According to Russia, 'it is only an observer of this agreement'. The agreement should be between the government of Ukraine and the rebels of the eastern region of Ukraine.
Russia made these arguments when there was clear evidence that it was helping the separatists. Meanwhile, Ukraine has also ruled out direct talks with the separatists. The language of the agreement is not clear. Russia and Ukraine are interpreting it differently. Ukraine wants to take control of its international border even before holding elections in the rebel-held areas. Along with this, he also wants the withdrawal of the Russian army. While Russia says that it has no army in the area held by the rebels. Russia wants elections in Donetsk and Luhansk to be held before the Ukrainian army occupies the border. Western countries tried to solve this problem but failed.
Source: BBC Hindi