Ukraine - Q&A - Excerpts from the daily press briefing (15.02.18)
Q - The Donbas authorities are reporting that Ukraine has stepped up military preparations along the entire Line of Contact which, according to them, means that Kiev is actively preparing for offensive actions. The leaders of the Donetsk Republic have asked the guarantor countries, i.e., France and Germany, to exert their influence on Kiev and to prevent the escalation of the conflict in the Donbas. How would you comment on these statements?
A - Security on the ground is our absolute priority, and we discuss this subject regularly at the highest level. France and Germany, co-mediators in the Normandy Contact Group, call on the parties to abide by the ceasefire renewed on December 23.
The next few weeks should bring concrete, positive results on certain issues that are crucial to the situation on the ground, such as the adoption of a package of immediate humanitarian measures we developed with Germany, and the return of Russian officers to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination.