{"id":1284934,"date":"2025-08-25T17:59:34","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/minsk-agreements-a-compromise-that-bought-time-for-the-ukrainian-army\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T17:59:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:59:34","slug":"minsk-agreements-a-compromise-that-bought-time-for-the-ukrainian-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/minsk-agreements-a-compromise-that-bought-time-for-the-ukrainian-army\/","title":{"rendered":"Minsk Agreements: A Compromise That Bought Time for the Ukrainian Army"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: “Ukrainian Truth”<\/a> .<\/em><\/p>\n

On August 24, 2014, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles \u2013 everything that made up the firepower of our Army \u2013 Bastion multiple launch rocket systems, Tochka U anti-aircraft defense systems, and SAM-300 anti-aircraft systems \u2013 arrived at Khreshchatyk.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The calculations of our Armed Forces marched along the main street of the capital, followed by equipment, repaired post-Soviet armor, already Ukrainian developments, everything that Yanukovych and his security forces with Russian passports failed to destroy. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The crowd on Khreshchatyk enthusiastically greeted the BTR-3E, BTR-4E, Cougar armored vehicles, Smerch systems, Osa anti-aircraft systems, Igla MANPADS, most Ukrainians saw such weapons for the first time, and this inspired confidence: Ukraine has an Army that protects us. The very next day, this equipment would go to the East, where bloody battles for the Ukrainian Donbas were ongoing. True, most of the country did not want to hear about the war, which was somewhere far away and not felt in the rear.<\/p>\n

And President Poroshenko, with a small delegation, flew to Minsk for the first meeting with the Kremlin dictator during his presidency.<\/p>\n

On the plane we talked about the first military parade in many years. Society and the media perceived it differently. Some were delighted when citizens consciously greeted the Ukrainian army for the first time. As a signal to Moscow and the world that we have an Army and we will defend our independence and sovereignty.<\/p>\n

However, there were also many critics of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief: “how is it so, in the East there is an ATO, and the equipment spoils the asphalt in Kyiv.” But our team was aware of the symbolism of the demonstration of force before the fateful meeting in Minsk. Ukrainian post-Maidan democracy signaled to the world, and most importantly to Moscow, that our army exists, we have weapons, and we will not let our statehood be trampled.<\/p>\n

We clearly understood that the enemy is not only interested in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, his goal is all of Ukraine, and therefore, the Ukrainian capital must be strong. Already in the summer of 2014, when the Ukrainian Army, which at that time consisted of volunteers and those military personnel who had not betrayed the oath, liberated 70% of the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions from gangs of “little green men”, we clearly realized that it is the Armed Forces of Ukraine that is the main guarantor of independence. It was then that the tradition of military parades on Independence Day was born, broken in August 2019 by a show of funny hares and white doves of peace.<\/p>\n

For Putin, with his distorted sense of history, nostalgia for the USSR, and manic desire to restore the empire, everything loses its meaning without Ukraine. Therefore, his goal has been unchanged since the first days of his presidency: the subjugation of Ukraine, the destruction of Ukrainian identity, language, history, and independent foreign policy. Initially, the Kremlin pursued its goal using hybrid methods, flooding the Ukrainian information space with oil rubles, promoting its agents into Ukrainian politics and intelligence services, flooding government offices with them, and expanding Russian dominance in Ukrainian media and culture.<\/p>\n

And when the Maidan rose up against colonization and the blocking of our European future, Putin resorted to invasion. Ukraine was attacked when we had a neutral status and had effectively lost the Army, which Yanukovych and his gang had deliberately weakened and disarmed.<\/p>\n

On that hot August day, for the first time in many years, European dignitaries arrived in Minsk to mediate a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders. The day before his inauguration, the already elected president, Poroshenko, had a brief conversation with Putin in Normandy.<\/p>\n

At that time, Russia had already occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk were already burning, and Poroshenko promised Ukrainians to quickly end the ATO and bring peace. This became decisive in the campaign, in which he won a convincing victory in the first round, in all Ukrainian regions.<\/p>\n

Ukraine was still in a difficult economic situation. After Yanukovych’s flight, only 118 thousand hryvnias remained in the state treasury, there were no weapons and international support, the economy was drained, and the army was practically in ruins. The scale of the betrayal was impressive.<\/p>\n

In Crimea, about half of the military personnel defected to Russia, and only 4,300 remained loyal to their oath and left for the mainland. In the Crimean SBU department, the level of betrayal reached 80 percent. In the Donetsk region, more than 17,000 police officers sided with the occupiers.<\/p>\n

Therefore, today it is worth thanking once again all those military personnel who remained faithful to their oath and in the spring of 2014, in accordance with the decisions of Acting President O. Turchynov, went to Donbas to repel the hybrid Russian troops disguised as militias. The basis of the new Ukrainian Army was the volunteer battalions that took up arms directly from the Maidan in March 2014.<\/p>\n

Two months after Poroshenko’s inauguration, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Mariupol, Lysychansk, and Severodonetsk, and fighting was already underway for the Luhansk airport. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, together with the military leadership, developed plans for the liberation of Donetsk, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces troops pushed back the enemy step by step.<\/p>\n

But Putin raised the stakes \u2013 in early August, regular units of the Russian army entered the Donbas. These were the Girkin and Borodai gangs, no longer armed with Russian weapons, reinforced by militias and disguised green men. To stop the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Putin sent elite units of the Russian occupation army. In the conditions of our weakness and lack of weapons, this threatened the catastrophe of the rapid occupation of several eastern regions and the loss of statehood.<\/p>\n

It is not for nothing that in all his interviews at that time Putin talked about Novorossia, listing 10 Ukrainian regions (Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv), planning the division of Ukraine along the Dnieper. He was already planning to launch the scenario that he had postponed until February 2022. We had to outwit the Kremlin ghoul! And buy time for the Army, because without a combat-ready army and without the help of partners, we would lose the State.<\/p>\n

Yesterday’s guarantors of the Budapest Memorandum advised us to be careful, not to leave the barracks, and didn’t even give us bulletproof vests because they were “dual-use goods.” US President Barack Obama promised to send blankets for the military. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So, on the morning of August 25, a small Ukrainian delegation led by President Poroshenko landed in Minsk and headed to the marble, pompous palace, Lukashenko’s new residence, which was hosting so many delegations for the first time.<\/p>\n

When discussing the meeting place, we also thought about Kazakhstan, President Nursultan offered to mediate in the conflict. We stopped at Minsk, solving another geostrategic task – to separate Minsk from Moscow’s influence, to prevent Belarus from being used as a bridgehead against Ukraine. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In addition to Nazarbayev, high-ranking European guests arrived, including EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, with a delegation that a happy Lukashenko greeted with flowers. He basked in the role of a welcoming host after years of isolation. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Russian delegation arrived last. Putin was surrounded by a large entourage, Peskov with a branded briefcase worth several thousand dollars, wrapped in “Colorado” ribbons. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When the bilateral meeting began, our delegation began to receive calls from the East. Russian troops surrounded Ukrainian units near Ilovaisk. Poroshenko appealed to Putin with a demand to stop the provocation, he promised a green corridor. But then tragedy struck, Putin, as always, broke his word, giving the order to shoot military and civilians.<\/p>\n

Then hundreds of our soldiers died, hundreds were taken prisoner, some miraculously survived, including journalists, Max Levin and his colleagues. Ilovaisk became the first terrible tragedy of the Russian-Ukrainian war, exposing the whole truth about Putin, who can never be trusted. On the eve of important international events, he always increases pressure and escalation in order to speak to everyone from a position of strength, manipulate and lie.<\/p>\n

We understood one thing – we needed to win, buy time, and strengthen the Ukrainian army.<\/p>\n

That is why the first protocols of the Minsk Agreements were signed on September 5, as a difficult compromise that stopped a full-scale invasion and gave the Ukrainian army time to build up its muscles.<\/p>\n

The document consisted of 12 points:<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  1. Immediate bilateral ceasefire.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  2. OSCE ceasefire monitoring and verification.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  3. Decentralization through a “special order” in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  4. Immediate release of all hostages and those illegally detained.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  5. Ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  6. Withdrawal of illegal armed formations, military equipment and militants.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  7. Ensuring constant monitoring of the Ukrainian-Russian border by the OSCE.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  8. Conducting local elections according to Ukrainian legislation.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  9. Restoration of full control of Ukraine over the state border.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  10. Withdrawal of all foreign military formations and mercenaries.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  11. Continuation of the nationwide dialogue.<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  12. Measures for the economic recovery of Donbas.<\/li>\n

    <\/ol>\n

    The uniqueness of this difficult document is that each point, in fact, confirmed the obvious – respect for international law. Territorial integrity of Ukraine. Ukraine within internationally recognized borders. Elections only under Ukrainian law. No surrender of territories. No destruction of Ukrainian identity. No restrictions on our course towards the EU and NATO. Nothing about “blocking” foreign policy. Nothing about language, humanitarian or religious policy.<\/p>\n

    Separately about borders. Putin was categorically against the inclusion of a clause on Ukrainian control over our border in the document. It is noteworthy that our partners in the Normandy format also urged Kyiv not to focus on this and to focus on a ceasefire, and to postpone borders for later. French President Hollande recalls in his memoirs how, during the second Minsk meeting, Poroshenko shouted at Putin that the country must have borders and this is an axiom.<\/p>\n

    As for Crimea, the Russian Federation and its European partners insisted that everyone in Minsk focus on ending the hot phase of the war that was ongoing in Donbas. However, for us, the point about the withdrawal of foreign troops from Ukrainian territories definitely applied to the occupied peninsula as well.<\/p>\n

    In 2018, after the signing of the Minsk Protocols<\/p>\n

    In 2018, the Pompeo Declaration appeared, in which the United States once again confirmed the Ukrainian status of Crimea and the non-recognition of the annexation.<\/p>\n

    Russia never fulfilled the Minsk agreements, it never agreed to an unconditional ceasefire and the release of all prisoners, blackmailing Kyiv with them, torturing military and civilians, hiding information about their whereabouts. As part of the work of the Minsk groups, we declared dozens of truces: bread, school, Christmas, but the Russians violated the agreements in the very first minutes.<\/p>\n

    However, the intensity of the fighting decreased during the “quiet” period. And this meant lives saved and settlements preserved. And it was also time for the Ukrainian army to rearm, switch to a contract system, increase its own production of missiles and equipment, and strengthen the military-industrial complex.<\/p>\n

    Moreover, it was precisely the Minsk agreements that were linked to sanctions against the Russian Federation, which affected the Russian economy, although not enough.<\/p>\n

    When Putin today tries to impose a “peace agreement” on the world without a ceasefire, it is a trap. After all, peace negotiations can last for months, and during this time Russia will continue to kill people. Therefore, an unconditional ceasefire is a prerequisite for peace negotiations.<\/p>\n

    Ending the war requires difficult decisions and compromises, this is not an “office of easy decisions.” In order for the guns to fall silent, professional diplomats must speak, but honest communication with society about how the authorities see a realistic plan to end the war and return the territories is also important. Numerous pompous peace summits and the 30 security agreements signed have not given Ukraine such important security guarantees, so we want to understand what the authorities mean by “just peace,” how they decipher it.<\/p>\n

    The preservation of Ukrainian statehood, when Kyiv was predicted to have 3 days, was ensured by the unprecedented courage, heroism and sacrifice of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But today the threats facing Ukraine are no less than in 2022, and those who have been at war since 2014 or a full-scale invasion are exhausted and expect support, justice and responsibility from politicians.<\/p>\n

    Ukraine does not trade territories. There must be a ceasefire and real security guarantees. There can be no compromises regarding Ukrainian identity, because otherwise we will open the gates to the “Russian world” from within. It is around these points that the Ukrainian authorities and everyone involved in the negotiations should focus. It turns out that the Army, Language and Faith are the foundation of statehood.<\/p>\n

    And of course, we must strengthen the anti-Putin coalition in the world. Without Western support, we would not have survived in 22-25, but the time when the EU can stand behind the Armed Forces of Ukraine, believing that Ukraine is a shield behind which time can be won, is passing. Because Russia also knows how to play with time, using the captured territories as a resource for further aggression, increasing weapons production and strengthening the axis of evil against the collective West. We should not give Russia this time, on the contrary, we must deprive it of the resources for war by strengthening sanctions and pressure.<\/p>\n

    Also follow \u201cPryamim\u201d<\/strong> on Facebook<\/a> , Twitter<\/a> , Telegram<\/a> , and Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n

    \u2022 Materials published in the \u201cOPINIONS\u201d section reflect the opinion of the author of the publication, who bears full responsibility for the accuracy of the information.<\/em>
    \u2022 The editorial staff of prm.ua may not share the opinions expressed in the author’s material.<\/em>
    \u2022 The owner of the webpage in the \u201cOPINIONS\u201d section is the author of the publication.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Source: “Ukrainian Truth” . On August 24, 2014, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles \u2013 everything that made up the firepower of our Army \u2013 Bastion multiple launch rocket systems, Tochka U anti-aircraft defense systems, and SAM-300 anti-aircraft systems \u2013 arrived at Khreshchatyk. The calculations of our Armed Forces marched along the main […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":1284903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76875,76893,76871,76872],"class_list":["post-1284934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news","category-thoughts","category-news-2","category-news-feed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1284934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1284934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1284934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1284903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1284934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1284934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}