Kuleba, Schmid discuss monitoring of uncontrolled section of Ukraine–Russia border

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Warsaw Security Forum on October 5, the MFA’s press service informs.

As noted, Kuleba expressed gratitude to Schmid for the OSCE’s efforts to resolve the Russia–Ukraine armed conflict and minimize the negative consequences of Russian aggression for the citizens on both sides of the contact line.

The Ukrainian foreign minister called the decision of the Russian Federation to close the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk “a conscious step towards the destruction of the Minsk agreements."

He noted that Paragraph 4 of the Minsk Protocol of 5 September 2014 provides for the OSCE permanent monitoring and verification of the areas adjacent to the state border between Ukraine and Russia.

Kuleba believes that Russia prevented the presence of OSCE observers on the border in order to supply weapons, ammunition, and mercenaries to the temporarily occupied territories in Luhansk and Donetsk regions with even greater audacity, and to further fuel the armed conflict.

The minister also stressed that Ukraine supported the resumption of monitoring of the uncontrolled part of the Ukraine–Russia border.

The counterparts discussed the enhancing of the capacity of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine to monitor the uncontrolled segment of Ukraine–Russia border and the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

They also paid attention to the implementation of the goals of the Crimea Platform aimed at the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula.

The Warsaw Security Forum is held on October 5-6 in hybrid format.

Photo credit: mfa.gov.ua

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