NATO calls on Russia to stop fighting in Donbas

He said this at a virtual press conference following the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs held by secure videoconference on April 2, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“We see that OSCE monitors face even bigger problems in conducting their tasks, because they are restricted in their ability to move freely. The COVID-19 crisis is used as a reason for further limiting the activities of OSCE monitors, and this makes the situation in eastern Ukraine even more difficult. We call on Russia to stop fighting in Ukraine. Russia backs the separatists, who are responsible for breaking ceasefire. We need the ceasefire to be fully implemented to be able to fight the (outbreak) of COVID-19 crisis in the country,” Stoltenberg said.

He noted that, despite calls for Russia to stop military operations, Russian-backed separatists continue to attack Ukrainian forces in Donbas.

“We see that ceasefire violations continue both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Information about violations is not only reported by the Ukrainian side but is also confirmed by OSCE monitors,” the NATO Secretary General added.

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