NATO logo banners in front of the organization's headquarters in Brussels. File photoBERLIN Feb 12 NATO-Russia disagreements over eastward expansion of the alliance can be resolved diplomatically, the key is full implementation of the Minsk agreements, says former German defense minister, lawyer and manager Franz Josef Jung. Saturday, February 12, marks 7 years since the signing of a set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements, which remains the basis for the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
"The Normandy format is decisive, the implementation of the Minsk agreements, which (Russian President Vladimir) Putin agreed to, which the Ukrainian president (Peter Poroshenko) agreed to", — Jung, who was Minister of Defense in 2005, told RIA Novosti — 2009.
He noted that at one of the international conferences, no longer being a minister, he asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov «why Russia is not taking the next steps in this (implementation of the Minsk agreements).» “Lavrov then replied that Ukraine, unfortunately, does not do it on its own. Here I must admit that he was somewhat right. But once again in plain text: we must implement the Minsk agreements, both from Ukraine and from Russia. Then it will be possible to come to a reasonable diplomatic solution,» Jung said. According to him, when the Minsk agreements are implemented, «then our diplomatic efforts will end.» «When that happens, I'm sure we'll come to a peaceful and reasonable solution,» Jung said.Antonov appreciated Sullivan's statement about Russia's «invasion» of Ukraine. He recalled that in 2008, the year of the Bucharest NATO summit, the Americans wanted to take the next step for Ukraine's entry into the alliance — to agree on the so-called NATO Membership Action Plan, MAP). “We in the federal government (Germany) considered this to be wrong. We opposed this and then this decision was not made. the topic of NATO's eastward expansion is on the agenda and after such a hypothetical settlement, given that at least Georgia expects to join the alliance, Jung recalled that he found the conflict in Georgia in 2008 in the chair of the Minister of Defense. «As you know, we then said that each country decides for itself (with whom to ally with), but of course, one must be able to see things through the eyes of another. To put it another way: NATO is purely a defensive alliance, not an offensive one. This is an important point,» Jung said.Biden believes that Russia will «attack» Ukraine on February 16, media writesRussia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine and a subject of the Minsk settlement agreements. In April 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR, which announced independence after the coup in Kiev in February 2014. According to the latest UN data, about 13 thousand people became victims of the conflict. The issue of resolving the situation in Donbass is being discussed, including during meetings of the contact group. However, even after the ceasefire agreements, skirmishes continue, in the DPR they announced shelling of residential areas by Ukrainian heavy artillery. Moscow has repeatedly stated that Kiev does not comply with the Minsk agreements and drags out negotiations to resolve the conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that Kiev sent half of the entire personnel of the armed forces of Ukraine to the Donbass. Moscow expressed concern about the transfer of military equipment from NATO countries to the Russian borders and the increase in the number of Western instructors in the Donbass. Western countries continue to provide military support to Ukraine, including by supplying weapons that are used in the Donbass. — 2″)