16/02/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 16 February, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service, Maja Kocijancic, called for the blockade of railway connections between the areas under the control of the Ukrainian government and those currently outside of its control to be stopped. "Those responsible for the blockade must cease their actions and the authorities must address this problem as a matter of priority", she said in a statement sent to EUROPE. The railways are being blockaded by ultranationalist groups who believe that the government should not trade with the pro-Russian rebels. According to Kocijancic, the blockade "reduces coal supplies from the occupied territories", which could soon threaten the operation of major power plants. This could trigger a major energy crisis that would affect Ukrainian citizens on both sides of the contact line. Kocijancic also encouraged the authorities of Ukraine to strengthen their efforts regarding transparency in the movement of goods over the line of control. (CG)