Inhumane blockade in Donbas persists — Russia’s OSCE ambassador

MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS /. Russia’s Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Alexander Lukashevich has pointed to the persisting inhumane blockade in Donbas. He was speaking in Vienna at a meeting on the situation in Ukraine and the need to implement the Minsk agreements. The text of his speech has been posted on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday.

"We believe that progress in the humanitarian and economic areas should give an additional impetus to the peace process," the Russian diplomat said. "Some progress has been made in prisoner exchanges, the delivery of international humanitarian aid has become possible. Over the past week, dozens of trucks were able to deliver assistance to those in need."

"However, the inhumane blockade of Donbas persists," Lukashevich noted. "Local residents have no access to pure drinking water, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law. Restrictions on the citizens’ freedom of movement remain in force."

Meetings on Ukraine give hope that month-long efforts will not be in vain

The recent meetings on Ukraine give hope that month-long international efforts to help defuse the political crisis in the country will not go in vain, Russia’s Ambassador to the OSCE went on to say.

"Now, after the meeting in Paris, we expect to see real actions from Kiev rather than an imitation [of actions]," the diplomat said. "To delay the process further is not in the interests of both the Ukrainian people and its European partners." "By shirking the direct dialogue with Donetsk and Luhansk and the need to coordinate the modality of the elections with them, Kiev has already missed the chance to hold local elections across the country on the single voting day in October," he noted.

"Nevertheless, the recent meetings on Ukraine make it possible to hope that the month-long international efforts to help resolve the political crisis in the country, including by the OSCE, will not go in vain," Russia’s ambassador said. "The chances for success hinge on Kiev’s further actions to scrupulously comply with its obligations enshrined in the Minsk Package of Measures, its willingness to actually seek joint solutions to the problems in the east of the country in the interests of preserving Ukraine’s unity and territorial integrity."

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