Ukraine in Arabic | Kiev accused Moscow of full-scale invasion into Ukraine
KYIV/Ukraine in Arabic/ Russia is rejecting consultations between the signatories of the Budapest memorandum, which foresees guarantees for Ukraine's territorial integrity and start a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said.
He said that Ukraine was using all bilateral platforms to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine and holding respective negotiations in international organizations.
"The international community should properly respond to this [Russian aggression against Ukraine]. We are consistently working to make sure this reaction is not only visible, but also effective," he said.
As reported, in 1994, Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum, under which Russia, the United States and Britain agreed to guarantee Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in exchange for the country giving up its nuclear weapons. At that time, Ukraine had the world's third largest nuclear arsenal.
At the same time, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletei, Russia has lost a hybrid war to Ukraine, which it led with the hands of mercenaries and saboteurs; therefore the Kremlin was forced to move to a full-scale incursion of its regular troops into the Donbas.
"Russia has lost a hybrid war to Ukraine. Our Armed Forces confidently pressed the gangs of Russian mercenaries, destroyed saboteurs and special forces soldiers. That is why the Kremlin was forced to move to a full-scale incursion of its regular troops into the Donbas," he said.
Heletei noted that Ukraine currently deals "with divisions and regiments" and tomorrow these could be army corps.
"The operation to liberate eastern Ukraine from terrorists is over. We should urgently build a defense against Russia, which is trying to secure its positions not only on the territories earlier occupied by terrorists, but also to advance to other parts of Ukraine," he said.
He said that "a large-scale war, which Europe has not seen since the Second World War, has come to our home."