Shoygu: Ukraine Missed 3 Opportunities and Deceived Itself

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu confirmed today, Tuesday, that "by rejecting a peaceful settlement in 2022, Kyiv deceived itself and missed three opportunities to guarantee security and peace in Ukraine." During his visit to Azerbaijan, Shoygu stated: "The Ukrainian authorities had three opportunities in contemporary history to ensure lasting peace and stability, all of which they squandered, making decisions each time based on orders from abroad, which led to the loss of their territories." Shoygu noted that the first opportunity missed by Kyiv was its violation of the February 2014 agreement aimed at resolving the internal political crisis in Ukraine, witnessed by the foreign ministers of Germany, Steinmeier, Poland, Sikorski, and the political director of the French Foreign Ministry, Fournier. He continued: "The agreement stipulated the formation of a national unity government and preparation for a constitutional amendment to grant the Donbas regions their rights and autonomy. Instead of complying with the agreement, the 'Ukrainian army and nationalist gangs primarily composed of neo-Nazis and other extremist national elements launched a military operation in the eastern regions.'"