Representatives of Ukraine in the trilateral contact group proposed to involve negotiators from the countries of the Normandy Four to participate in monitoring and confirming compliance with the ceasefire in Donbas.
As noted in the Ukrainian representation in the TCG, due to a significant increase in the number of shelling in the occupied territories of Donbass, the delegation initiated an extraordinary meeting of the working group on security within the TCG.
“This morning we are witnessing numerous violations of the ceasefire regime on the demarcation line by illegal armed groups supported by the Russian Federation,” the report says.
The Ukrainian delegation recalled that as a result of shelling with the use of cannon artillery, mortars and tanks, the building of a kindergarten in the area of Stanytsia Luhanska, where children were staying, was damaged. They also spoke about the damage to residential buildings and infrastructure, as a result of which three civilians were injured.
“In this regard, the Ukrainian delegation appealed to the OSCE Representative in the TCG to urgently convene extraordinary consultations of the working group on security issues, as well as an extraordinary meeting of the TCG ,” the report says.
It was precisely in order to prevent such provocations from becoming a reason for escalation that the Ukrainian delegation proposed to involve representatives of the countries of the Normandy format to participate in all mechanisms that monitor and verify compliance with the ceasefire.
“We are ready for further work in the negotiation format to stop violations and restore the regime of silence, because only with an established ceasefire is it possible to further move on humanitarian, social and political issues with the aim of peacefully resolving the conflict in the Ukrainian Donbas,” the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG concluded.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the Russian authorities were planning a full-scale attack on Ukraine in the coming days.
Prior to that, also on February 17, US President Joe Biden said that the risk of a new Russian invasion of Ukraine remains very high.
