Brussels/Riga, 18/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 18 February, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini criticised the “actions by the Russia-backed separatists in Debaltseve” in East Ukraine, describing them as “a clear violation of the ceasefire”.
“The separatists must stop all military activities”, Mogherini stated in a press release. Russia and the separatists must “immediately and fully” implement the commitments agreed in Minsk, in line with the UN Security Council resolution of 17 February, “starting with the respect of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of all heavy weapons”, Mogherini underlined. Speaking in Riga, she said that the European defence ministers would hold discussions and “take some decisions” about the European “common engagement in this security challenging environment”.
“The EU stands ready to take appropriate action in case the fighting and other negative developments in violation of the Minsk agreements continue”, Mogherini warned in the press release.
Questioned in Riga about the additional sanctions, she stated that if the situation on the ground followed the commitments taken in Minsk, this would not be necessary - “but we have to see implementation happening in these very next hours”, she said.
Mogherini also called for immediate access of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to assume its monitoring and verification functions in and around Debaltseve and to any other site the mission needs to go. The measures put in place by the EU to help the OSCE missions are due to be discussed at the informal Defence Council.
In addition, Mogherini said that “safe passage for all those who want to leave the area must also be ensured”.
On Tuesday 17 February, Mogherini said that despite the fighting in Debaltseve, the ceasefire was not a failure. “We knew that it would be difficult and fragile, and that it wouldn't be black and white but grey”, she added. She said that what needed to be done was not to declare that it was a failure but to work and insist on the process resulting in a positive outcome - in other words, full implementation of the accord to which the separatists and Russia agreed.
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has asked the Western countries for a strict response to Moscow after the separatists' offensive against Debaltseve. “This is a cynical attack against the Minsk agreements (…) The world must stop the aggressor”, he said, quoted by his press staff.
Poroshenko, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, France's President François Hollande and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel were due to speak on the phone during the evening of Wednesday 18 February.
In the evening of 17 February, the UN Security Council, which includes Russia, called for a unanimous statement for the immediate cease to hostilities, concerned about the continued fighting in the region of Debaltseve. It called on the parties to respect the Minsk agreements - especially on facilitating access for OSCE observers.
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn is visiting Ukraine on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 February. (Camille-Cerise Gessant and Jan Kordys)