Boris Johnson Says Peace In Ukraine Depends On Russia

World News Rudolph Rodriquez
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British Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, said Wednesday in Kiev that progress in the peace process in eastern Ukraine depends mainly on Russia, Reuters reports online.

“Obviously first of all Russians are the ones to make progress in terms of security. But I think all parties involved in this dialogue must advance together,” Johnson said during his first visit to Kiev.

The British official said it is crucial for Western countries to maintain the sanctions imposed on Russia.

Johnson reiterated Britain’s support for Ukraine in a meeting with his counterpart in Kiev, Pavlo Klimkin, UNIAN news agency notes.

The intervention of the Russian army in Ukraine began on 24 February 2014 following the Ukrainian pro-European Revolution resulted in a coup when Russian special troops took control of most of Crimean peninsula of Ukraine located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, including civilian buildings, airports, and military bases.

The same day, the Russian legislature approved the Russian military presence in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Russian officials also maintained that the presence of Russian troops in Crimea does not infringe any existing agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukrainian response has been moderate so far, without any military action by the Ukrainian government, which was installed in Kiev more than a week before the occupation. At the same time, the Ukrainian Parliament has requested that the Budapest Memorandum signatories to reaffirm their commitment to the principles guaranteed by the Treaty.

According to the bilateral agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the stationing of Russian military structures until 2047, Russia may have about 25 thousand soldiers, more than 500 ships in the port of Sevastopol, 100 mouths of cannon caliber 100 mm and 22 fighter jets.

All information on troop movements should be sent to Kiev’s Russian side and the Russian military must remain within certain predefined areas.