Putin agrees to the deployment of armed OSCE mission to the Donbas
Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the idea of a deployment of an armed OSCE mission along the contact line. "Recently I had a conversation with Petro Poroshenko: he proposed to strengthen the presence of the OSCE and that the OSCE observers on the contact line should be armed in order to achieve the ceasefire. I think it is the right position, we support it," Putin stated at an open press conference on Thursday, 14 April, as reported by the Ukrainian news.
According to the Russian President, the OSCE has to increase the number of observers in eastern Ukraine and prescribe in the mandate that they have firearms.
When speaking about the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, Putin expressed the conviction that Russia is implementing them and that clashes on the contact line are the barrier for the realization of most of the provisions.
The Russian President also assures that there will be no intense fighting in the Donbas. Recently, the OSCE reported the use of threats and force against the observers in the Donbas and that the situation in the conflict zone has deteriorated due to the attacks.