French Foreign Ministry recalls failure of Minsk agreements between Russia and Ukraine

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot recalled on the anniversary of the signing of the Minsk II agreement that the ceasefire was later violated, leading to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Barrot recalled that the Minsk II agreement was signed ten years ago, "establishing a ceasefire in Ukraine".

"Repeatedly violated, it did not prevent Russia from invading the country [Ukraine – ed.] in 2022. If we want to sustainably counter the threat and ensure peace, we must do more and do better," Barrot wrote on X (Twitter).

Barrot’s statement came as US President Donald Trump spoke with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on 12 February. Following the conversation, Trump stated that they "want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine".

"We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations," Trump said.

After that, Trump called Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss further contacts.

The development has sparked reactions across Europe, while US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth insists that the US administration’s peace efforts and Trump’s talks with Putin are not a "betrayal".