Russia on Thursday accused Ukrainian authorities of preparing for a “new war” after a vote in Ukraine on a law that described the four-year-old armed conflict as “a temporary Russian occupation.”
The law, approved on Thursday by 280 deputies of Ukraine, denounces “Russian armed aggression” and describes the two declared “republics” of Donetsk and Lugansk unilaterally in the east of the country as “temporary occupied territories.”
The law also stipulates that the army will take over command of operations in the conflict zone, which has so far been under the custody of the security forces.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that by passing the law, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko “has unlimited powers that mimic the powers of a dictator to suppress any protest.”
“We can only call it preparations for a new war,” she said, warning of a “dangerous escalation” of the situation in Ukraine and “unexpected repercussions for peace and security in the world.”
“Kiev is burying the Minsk agreements and all existing mechanisms to find acceptable solutions to resolve the Ukrainian crisis,” it said.
The peace accords signed in Minsk in February 2015, brokered by Russia, France and Germany, allowed tension to be reduced but without any progress towards a political settlement.