Pavlo Klimkin, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, stated today the intention of negotiating a ceasefire plan in the Donbass with Russia, following three days of intense bombing by governmental forces on residential areas.
In his statement on his Twitter account, Klimkin referred to the purported signing of an agreement between Ukraine and Russia to implement the Minsk agreements, signed on November 13 by the conflicting parties and fostered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including Russia among the mediators.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated today that Ukraine has violated the agreements strengthening its military forces in the Southeast, in another attempt to settle the conflict with the rebel regions by force.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called again international mediators to urge Ukraine to meet the agreements of Minsk, reiterating that Russia is not part of the conflict, and like OSCE acts like mediator in negotiations to find a peaceful solution of Ukrainian crisis.
Russia also called for the presence of the OSCE mission to enforce such agreements.
Ukrainian troops staged again attacks on January 9, with an unprecedented intensity since the summer, mainly on Donetsk and surrounding regions, in an attempt to retake the international airport in the capital city of Donbass.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged in a statement released this morning to avoid at all costs the worsening of Ukraine’s situation.
At least nine civilians were killed and more than 20 injured in the recent hours because by the Ukrainian army bombing on several cities in the Donbass, mainly residential areas of Donetsk, Gorlovka and Lugansk.
According to Alexander Zajarchenko, elected leader of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, the bombing of the Ukrainian army launched 500 kilograms of bombs on Gorlovka last night. (PL)