Kiev’s attempts to gain control over Donbass before implementing the political provisions of the Minsk Agreements are unlawful as they run contrary to the accords, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Belarusian media on the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Belarus.

"These attempts are unlawful because the Minsk Agreements have been approved by the United Nations Security Council," the Russian top diplomat pointed out. "They stipulate that the political provisions concerning the amnesty, the special status of Donbass enshrined in the country’s constitution and elections to be held under the OSCE’s control should be implemented before Kiev gains full control over the region," Lavrov explained.

The Russian foreign minister stressed that "the special status, amnesty and elections are meant to guarantee that the will of the people living in the region will be taken into account."