FM Kuleba: Russia must cease escalating military tensions

“Ukraine and its partners state that Russia systemically aggravates the security situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and in Crimea while refusing to reaffirm its commitment to the ceasefire,” reads the statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.

The minister notes that Russia’s current escalation is systemic, the largest in recent years. “Russia’s actions have brought the situation to a dead end. The only way out is diplomacy,” Kuleba underscores.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasizes that Moscow must cease escalating military tensions, immediately and unconditionally reaffirm its commitment to political-diplomatic means of resolving the conflict and to the ceasefire.

“Ukraine together with Germany and France as Normandy format mediators make everything possible to encourage Russia to engage constructively in negotiations. Our other partners, including the US, Canada, the UK and NATO also support Russia’s continued engagement in negotiations,” says the statement.

Whatever disinformation Russia may promote now, I would like to assure that Ukraine prioritizes political-diplomatic means of resolving the conflict, because peace and human lives are fundamental values to the Ukrainian state, the minister stresses. 

As reported, at the Trilateral Contact Group meeting on March 31, the Russian delegation did not support the proposal of head of the Ukrainian delegation Leonid Kravchuk to ensure compliance with the full and comprehensive ceasefire from 00:00 on April 1.

The day before, on March 30, President of France Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with President of Russia Vladimir Putin through video conferencing. The leaders of France and Germany, in particular, stressed that Russia needed to commit itself to ensuring the ceasefire in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to help overcome the crisis in compliance with the Minsk Agreements.

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