Thread by @PaulNiland

There's so much wrong with this, a thread is needed to unpack it.

First, there is an answer to this question. It lies in the proper implentation of the #Minskk deal that #Russia agreed to but has consistently ignored.

Point one: ceasefire. Russia has never done this.

Cont...

https://twitter.com/armscontrol_rus/status/1362105897372246019

Minsk requires that Russia ceases fire. Then (Point two) retires heavy equipment (their tools of war) to a safe distance and that (Point three) the OSCE SMM be allowed to verify this.

Instead, Russian occupation forces constantly harass OSCE monitors, & shoot down their drones.

Planning for elections in the areas under temporary Russian occupation (Point four) follows Points one, two & three. Russia has not complied, to this day, with those three points.

Elections can & will only happen after hostilities cease. Not under Russia's occupation or terms.

The full statement continues, "military activities launched by the Kiev [sic] authorities" and this is a blatant falsehood. Explained (dishonestly) later in the text, we'll get there.

The fact is, Ukraine's military reacted to Russia's aggression.

And #KyivNotKiev

"The Russian Federation has consistently emphasized the need for ... dialogue between Kiev [sic], Donetsk, and Luhansk."

This is not called for by Minsk. Poroshenko avoided agreeing to talking to Russia's puppet regimes directly. And rightly so. They follow the Kremlin's orders.

Next, "the peace process is further complicated by Ukraine's aggressive rhetoric" is another attempt to pass blame on the victim. There would be no "aggressive rhetoric" without the actual aggression from Russia that instigated and fuels the war to to his day.

"How does Kiev [sic] see the future status of Donbas within Ukraine?"

That's an easy one. Exactly as it was before the Russian invasion.

The Donbas always existed peacefully within the state of Ukraine and there was no nascent, local, popular movement for anything otherwise.

"The punitive operation against the civil population in Donbas" is the next lie, earlier referenced in tweet 4 in this thread. It's a core tenet of Russia's dishonest narrative.

The operation was neither punitive nor directed at civilians. It was against the invading forces.

"further attempts of some states to justify Kiev's [sic] criminal actions" is from fantasy land. Kyiv isn't responsible for any criminal actions, but if it had been Ukraine's allies (all decent democracies with rule of law, unlike Russia) would be excusing no such thing. Ever.

The concluding ludicrous claim is that Ukraine is in breach of Point ten of Minsk. Which refers to the "withdrawal of foreign armed formations, military equipment, and mercenaries" and this point is quite clearly referring to Russia's responsibilities, not Ukraine's.

Ukraine's military is NEVER a "foreign" army on any part of Ukrainian territory, and that territory extends right up to the internationally recognised border with Russia. Point ten of Minsk is a clear demand for Russian withdrawal, forever, from all Ukraine lands @RusGavrilov.