EU condemns Minsk agreement violation

The EU Wednesday condemned the actions by the Russia-backed separatists in Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine as “a clear violation of the ceasefire.” “The separatists must stop all military activities. Russia and the separatists have to immediately and fully implement the commitments agreed to in Minsk, in line with yesterday’s UN Security Council resolution, starting with the respect of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of all heavy weapons,” said EU High Representative Federica Mogherini in a statement.
“The EU stands ready to take appropriate action in case the fighting and other negative developments in violation of the Minsk agreements continue,” she said.
Mogherini also called for immediate access of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to assume its monitoring and verification functions in and around Debaltseve and to any other site the Mission needs to go.