The most disputed point about the Minsk agreements has been whether to hold local elections in the Donbas before Ukraine regains control of its border with Russia, or after. Ukraine has insisted that security and the return of the border should precede elections, while pro-Russian separatists and Moscow have been pushing for the opposite, as agreed to in Minsk. At the time of Minsk II, Kyiv found itself at a disadvantage in the negotiations since it had been enduring an offensive on the city of Debaltseve and suffered an assault on Mariupol.
The Minsk terms have been breached time and again. Ceasefires are frequently violated. Weapons banned under the Minsk deal are being used and supplied despite the completed pullouts. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission often reports limited access to the designated areas, and humanitarian aid often doesn’t reach the affected areas. The proposed exchange of prisoners is complicated by Russia’s detentions of Ukrainian citizens.
