Minsk agreements proved that events in Donbas are not an internal conflict, but a direct Russian aggression

President Petro Poroshenko emphasizes that the key role of the Minsk agreements is that the enemy didn't manage to depict the events in Donbas as an internal conflict. "It is not an internal conflict. On September 5, the entire world saw and we successfully proved that it is a direct aggression of the Russian Federation against free, sovereign and independent Ukraine," the President said commenting on the anniversary of the first Minsk agreements at the request of journalists.

The Head of State emphasized that the very format of the Minsk agreements, which involved Ukraine, Russia and Europe, proved that it is not an internal conflict.

According to the President, the Minsk agreements were ensured by the Normandy format. "The Normandy format includes not only the leadership of Germany and France. The Normandy format is a powerful pro-Ukrainian international coalition, because the EU leaders have provided a clear transatlantic coordination for the United States and Canada to support Ukraine as well. Today, the whole world including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada stands by Ukraine," Petro Poroshenko emphasized.

The President added that the Minsk agreements had ruined the illegal elections held on November 2, 2014 with brutal violation of all rules of the OSCE.

According to the President, fragile ceasefire, which has been observed in Donbas for a week already, is related to successful implementation of the Minsk agreements by Ukraine. "The adoption of crucial international decisions - prolongation of sanctions against Russia by the EU and introduction of new sanctions by the U.S. - and ceasefire, as a result, mean that there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements," Petro Poroshenko noted.

The President emphasized that only the Minsk agreements will allow the return of the Ukrainian territories, termination of occupation, restoration of control over the Ukrainian border and liberation of hostages illegally kept in the occupied territories and the Russian Federation.

The Head of State underlined the importance of the OSCE role in the Minsk process.

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