Lavrov: Rada decisions concerning Donbas violate Minsk agreements
MOSCOW. March 18 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada's decisions regarding legislation concerning the special status for some districts in Donbas grossly violate the Minsk agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"The Verkhovna Rada has made decisions at President [Petro] Poroshenko's proposal that in fact rewrite the agreements, or, to put it bluntly, grossly violate them, as they condition the introduction of the law on [Donbas'] special status by the need to liberate these territories, which they have called occupied," Lavrov said at a press conference following negotiations with the foreign minister of Gabon on Wednesday.
In addition, the legislation passed by the Rada envisions "the replacement of virtually all people elected by the population of these territories by someone else," Lavrov said.
"As follows from the Rada's resolution, the law on special status will take effect only when these territories are governed by someone acceptable to Kyiv," he said.