Brussels, 31/08/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 31 August, Alexander Hug, the deputy chief monitor of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission to Ukraine, said that neither the Ukrainian army nor the pro-Russian rebels were respecting the ceasefire in East Ukraine.
On 26 August, the trilateral contact group in charge of monitoring application of the Minsk agreements agreed that a new ceasefire should enter into force on 1 September.
“Breaches have become the norm”, said Hug in an interview published by Swiss media “La Liberté” and “Le Courrier”, stating that the fighters had no will to stop the hostilities. “Both camps are breaching the ceasefire equally”, he added. During a visit to Brussels on 27 August, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko nevertheless gave assurances that his country was “fully implementing” the Minsk agreements, including the ceasefire (see EUROPE 11376).
In Hug's view, the withdrawal of heavy weapons is no longer being respected by either of the parties. As he told EUROPE at the end of June (see EUROPE 11343), the lack of trust between the Ukrainian government and the rebels remains the biggest obstacle to the withdrawal of these weapons. “Without trust, there will be no positive results”, Hug said.
Another point in the Minsk agreements that is not being respected is the free movement of OSCE observers, who are still unable to access the border between Ukraine and Russia. “We are systematically prevented from access to the border” by the separatists, who “are physically blocking access”. Hug warned that although the clashes made the mission “difficult”, the OSCE did not intend to withdraw.
Vote on draft law for more autonomy in the east. Elsewhere, during a noisy session on Monday 31 August, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the draft law giving more autonomy to the pro-Russian regions in East Ukraine. This vote was followed by clashes and a strong explosion outside the parliament, which left several dozen people wounded. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)