minsk agreements

Since 2014, numerous attempts to end the Russia-Ukraine war have failed, including a recent ceasefire proposal by Putin in Istanbul, which was rebuffed due to lack of an unconditional ceasefire. Previous agreements like the Budapest Memorandum and minsk agreements have been repeatedly violated. Short-term ceasefires in 2022, 2023, and 2025 also collapsed amid accusations of violations from both sides.

On war’s 4th anniversary, Ukrainian envoy says Russia’s actions have embittered hearts for generations

As it called for immediate de-escalation on the Ukraine issue, the government's hands-off policy saw India abstaining Monday from a procedural vote in UN Security Council on whether or not discussions were required on the threat of an invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

Russia's foreign minister sternly warned Ukrainian officials Wednesday that Moscow would not accept their push to revise a peace deal for eastern Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's comments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling Tuesday for a modification of the 2015 agreement and inviting other nations to help mediate the stalled talks on a political settlement of the conflict in Ukraine's east.

Armenia on Tuesday pushed Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty. With prime minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday proposed simultaneously signing the peace agreement with a declaration on one of Baku's other requirements -- the formal dismantling of the Minsk Group, a defunct mediation format set up in 1991 under the aegis of the OSCE and co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States.

Belarus on Thursday blamed the migrant crisis on its border on the European Union and accused the bloc of rejecting talks on measures to reinforce the frontier. "We would be interested in the crisis being resolved as quickly as possible," Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti in an interview. Makei pointed to the EU's decision last year to stop financing projects in Belarus to reinforce border infrastructure and build shelters for illegal migrants.

Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine accused Kyiv government forces on Thursday of shelling their territory with mortars, in violation of agreements aimed at ending the conflict, the RIA news agency said.

Shelling was reported by both sides within hours of the latest agreement to defuse the conflict, reached after talks in Geneva between the two countries' foreign ministers and envoys from France, Russia and the United States.

Putin's recognition of the rebel-held territories' independence effectively shatters the Minsk peace agreements and will further fuel tensions with the West. He said that Moscow would sign friendship treaties with the rebel territories, a move that could pave the way for Russia to openly support them with troops and weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he and the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine had agreed on the withdrawal of heavy weapons from Ukraine's frontlines and a ceasefire to begin from February 15.

Chinese defence minister Shangfu met with strongman President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk and said "the purpose of my visit to Belarus is precisely the implementation of important agreements

Belarus has accused Poland of causing delays at their shared border by slowing the movement of trucks, alleging that Warsaw was failing to implement agreed-upon regulations. Poland has been a vociferous critic of Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus' long-standing leader.

The once-busy Novaya Guta border crossing between Belarus and Ukraine now stands deserted, blocked by anti-tank barriers amid ongoing war. Belarus, closely aligned with Russia, plays a quiet mediating role, hosting prisoner exchanges and past failed peace talks. While tensions persist, officials say the situation is under control. Locals wonder if US President Trump might broker peace, while Belarusian authorities remain hopeful that negotiations will eventually restore stability.