France and Germany bear moral responsibility for Ukraine and Georgia losing territory. That’s according to the secretary of Kiev’s National Security and Defense Council, who pointed the finger at the EU’s two strongest powers.
Speaking to Forbes, Aleksey Danilov focused his accusations on Paris, saying that France’s actions led to Kiev losing control over Crimea, as well parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, and contributed to Tbilisi’s loss of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“Our international partners reproach us and say that we haven’t defeated corruption,” Danilov said. “But there is corruption in other countries too. The French, for example, were engaged in negotiations between Georgia and Russia in 2008. As a result, the Georgians lost some territory.”
The council secretary also accused France of accepting an order from Russia for two Mistral amphibious assault ships as a bribe after making a corrupt deal with Moscow. He offered no evidence.
“I don’t know if they got something for part of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and for Crimea, but they have moral responsibility,” Danilov explained.
When it comes to Germany, the Ukrainian politician accused Berlin of teaming up with the French to block Georgia’s and Ukraine’s entries into NATO in 2008. Because of that, they were attacked by Russia, he said.
“When we have closed-door meetings in Kiev with German and French representatives, I tell them about it,” he continued.
In 2008, a five-day war broke out between Russia and Georgia. The conflict ended on 12 August, following a ceasefire negotiated by France’s then-President Nicolas Sarkozy. After the fighting ended, two breakaway Georgian republics – South Ossetia and Abkhazia – declared independence from Tbilisi. The two states are recognized as independent by six countries, including Russia, but the vast majority of the world says the two areas are regions of Georgia.
Six years later, the conflict in Donbass began in April 2014, when two pro-Moscow breakaway republics unilaterally declared independence from Kiev. These regions – the so-called Donetsk (DNR) and Lugansk People’s Republics (LNR) – are unrecognized by either Russia or Ukraine. However, according to Kiev, they are under the control of the Kremlin. Moscow vehemently denies this charge.
Danilov, who was once a Ukrainian PM, was born in Krasnyi Luch, which is currently under the control of the LNR.
Credit: RT News