Herashchenko calls for presence of EU peacekeepers in Donbas
The Ukrainian President’s envoy to restore peace in the Donbas region, Iryna Herashchenko, wrote on her Facebook page that the entry of a European Union peacekeeping mission to the conflict area in eastern Ukraine has become even more necessary.
“During a telephone conversation with the members of Normandy Quartet, the Ukrainian President asked the European Union to send a peacekeeping mission to Donbas. In the context of European security, monitoring the fragile situation in the Donbas region has become more critical. In addition, militants have not let the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission work properly. They have shelled observers and have prevented them from accessing the entire occupied territory,” Herashchenko relayed.
According to her, Poroshenko raised the issue of releasing prisoners; both those who are held in the occupied territories and those who are held in Moscow.
“It is terrible that the release process has been blocked. Despite all efforts and the insistence of the Ukrainians, prisoners are still not with their families. Petro Poroshenko noted that the humanitarian aspects of the Minsk Agreements are the top priorities. All parties should make efforts to release hostages,” the People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Iryna Herashchenko stated.
“I have been in communication with Nadya Savchenko’s mother recently. Maria Ivanovna is very worried about Nadya’s hunger strike but she is impressed by her daughter’s determination. We all admire her for her bravery. Nadya is a real political prisoner. She has not lost her dignity or self-esteem in the most terrible conditions, just like Oleg Sentsov and other Ukrainians who are political prisoners of the Russian Federation. It is a matter of honor for Ukraine to ensure her release,” Herashchenko summarized.
As Obozrevatel previously reported, the Normandy Four’s leaders held telephone conversations on the 30th of December. During these conversations, Poroshenko informed French President François Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel about the escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks and stressed that the non-implementation of the Minsk Agreements by Russia and the separatists is unacceptable.