Russia blocks TCG’s work, demanding that Ukraine legalize occupation administrations – Tsymbaliuk

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, November 5, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

At the beginning of his speech, Ukraine’s representative noted that last week’s discussions at the Permanent Council confirmed the fact that the Russian side had been using the resolution of the Ukrainian Parliament on local elections only as a pretext to block constructive talks within the Trilateral Contact Group. When the local elections were held and the resolution came into force, the Russian delegation returned to its long-established practice of accusations and obstruction.

"This demonstrates Russia’s unchanged policy to prevent any substantial progress in resolving the conflict until Ukraine fulfills the Kremlin’s demands to legalize the Russian occupation administrations in the occupied areas of Donbas and reconciles with Russia’s refusal to implement the commitment to withdraw its troops from Donbas," Tsymbaliuk said.

He called on the Russian side to stop this practice, and to unblock the constructive work in the TCG, in particular, on the release of detainees, disengagement and demining, which should be carried out before the start of winter season. In addition, the Ukrainian diplomat reminded the Russian side of its commitment, undertaken in Paris last December, to ensure full and unconditional access of the ICRC to all detained persons.

Tsymbaliuk also noted the aggravation of the situation in Donbas after a series of targeted attacks by the Russian occupation forces on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, the security situation in Donbas remains fragile and "can sharply deteriorate whenever the Russian side takes such decision."

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