US Ambassador to OSCE: Russia is escalating tensions in Ukraine to improve their position during negotiations
According to the US Ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, Russia is attempting to escalate the violence in eastern Ukraine in order to improve their position at the negotiating table and to gain concessions in their favor, Unrinform reported.
“Russia has escalated tensions on the line of contact in an attempt to wrest concessions from Ukraine by force,” Baer stated.
At the same time, he noted that fighting further complicates achieving political progress during the Minsk negotiations.
“If Russia truly wants agreement on modalities for local elections, on amnesty, on special status, and on decentralization, the way forward is clear: stop attacking Ukrainian forces, withdraw heavy weapons, and grant full access to the SMM (Special Monitoring Mission) throughout Ukraine, including the region along the border with Russia,” the Ambassador to the OSCE stated.
"Mixed Russian-separatist forces continue to violate the ceasefire and the Russian leadership is directly responsible for it,” he added.