Putin Labels the Current Events in Donbass a Genocide

President Putin has called the events in the region of Donbass, a genocide after holding a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The Russian president added that Kiev systematically violates human rights, including legalizing the discrimination of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine.

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The mandatary highlighted the Russian State Duma's passing a motion, which requested the recognition of the two self-proclaimed people's republics located in Donbas. Putin expressed his hope about the Minsk accords still being possible and that it was not too late to implement them.

The Russian leader criticized Kiev's position on refusing to implement the Minsk accords or either following the resolutions reached in the Normandy format with Germany and France."There has been no progress on such fundamental issues as constitutional reform, amnesty [to all Donbas residents], local elections and legal aspects of the special status of Donbas," Putin noted, referring to the key provisions of the 2015 Minsk agreements.

About the Duma's request, the Russian president disclosed that he would decide according to the interests of resolving the Donbas issues and keeping in mind the potential that the Minsk agreements' implementation represents.

Since 2014, the Ukrainian government has been waging war against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics after resulting from a West-backed coup. The conflict in the Donbass region came about by fear that the new nationalist-minded authorities would infringe upon its Russian-speaking population's right to use whatever language they choose.

Even though the truce has been negotiated since 2015 via international mediation, no significant progress has been evidenced. Both republics regularly complain about Kiev because it has broken the ceasefire, trying to solve the conflict using military means.