DISINFO: Kyiv refused to implement the Minsk agreements and conducted a genocide in Donbas

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, actively trying to legitimize Russia’s military actions. This narrative is claiming that Ukraine is responsible for the war because Kyiv perpetrated a genocide of the population in Donbas while it refused to implement the Minsk agreements.

Furthermore, Russia has been coming up with different explanations and pretexts for its unjustified invasion of Ukraine as the situation has been changing. Denazifying and demilitarising Ukraine as well as ensuring its neutral status were among the main reasons for the assault. Protecting the residents of the self-proclaimed separatist entities in Eastern Ukraine from alleged genocide and imposing the use of the Russian language in Ukraine were cited, too. Ukraine was also accused of failing to implement the Minsk accords, although it was Russia and its proxies in the region who were blocking the process of normalisation.

Minsk agreements: With its invasion Russia has effectively killed the Minsk agreements and the entire process of negotiations. Russia was a party to the Minsk agreements, despite attempts to distance herself for it.

The Minsk agrements are the most recent formal documents in which Russia has affirmed Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia has however not delivered on its side of the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The Russian side and its proxies have failed to implement a ceasefire, withdraw all heavy weapons, implement all-for-all political prisoner exchange, or ensure delivery of humanitarian assistance based on an international mechanism. On the contrary, Russia has been strengthening the illegal armed formations in eastern Ukraine. Russia also does not allow for unfettered access of OSCE SMM monitors, including to the Ukraine-Russia border, where the (very limited) monitoring mission was discontinued due to a Russian veto in summer 2021.

Without the full implementation of the ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons as well as permission for the full access to all territories for the OSCE monitoring mission, it is difficult to discuss implementation of the political parts of Minsk II. Nevertheless, Ukraine implemented as much of the Minsk agreements as can reasonably be done while not having control over the territory and addressed every point. It has passed – and extended with renewals – legislation on special status and amnesty (2014), and prepared draft legislation on local elections (2014). Ukraine passed constitutional amendments to provide more autonomy to the territories currently outside its control (2015).

Genocide: There is no evidence to support the claims of genocide by Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities did not systematically exterminate or abused the people living in the conflict zone. The claimed dead people – military and civilian alike - are a result of a war Russia had started in Ukraine. It is not an internal civil conflict but a well-documented act of aggression by Russian armed forces, ongoing since February 2014. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine which has closely monitored the conflict had observed no such genocide.

Read more disinformation narratives about Ukraine allegedly perpetrating genocide against Russians.

See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.