The Minsk Agreement: A Possible Escape from a European War?

    As world leaders try to find a diplomatic solution to the Russia and Ukraine crisis, attention has turned to the 2015 Minsk Agreement to resolve the tension. The agreement was disputed in Belarus to end the 10-month conflict with Ukraine years ago, but it has never been fully implemented. Could it be a possible solution that prevents a current-day war from breaking out in Europe? 

    In 2014, a group of pro-Russian separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions declared independence from Ukraine, which sparked fighting and conflict in the region and caused around 10,000 casualties. A year later, a meeting between Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany sought to bring peace to those areas in conflict. The agreement included a ceasefire between the two groups, withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the frontlines, monitoring from outside organizations, restoration of the economy on both sides, and Ukrainian government control being restored over the border with Russia. Once it was signed, the worst of the fighting stopped, but issues with the conditions resurfaced. Although Russia was a signatory, its name was never mentioned in the conditions of the ceasefire, thus allowing Russia to seem like an observer, despite their support for the fighting groups in the region. 

    Looking at the agreement in today's context, the Minsk agreement is regarded in Russia's favor. It would allow Russia can retain its influence in Ukraine through pro-Russian groups, and it would give them the ability to control the territory. As of right now, the US, Ukraine, and Russia are in agreement. While it could be a temporary solution to halt violence in the region, the result would threaten Ukraine's sovereignty. This leads to the greater question: Should we favor Ukraine's sovereignty in order to retain peace or allow them to be sovereign with the threat of a World War? 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/09/europe/minsk-agreement-ukraine-russia-explainer-intl/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/09/world/europe/russia-ukraine-putin.html