The key priority for Ukraine is to save the lives of our military and civilians in Donbas. We value every life.
In six weeks since July 27 this year, due to the efficiency of Ukrainian representatives in the negotiations in various formats, it has been possible to achieve a real ceasefire regime in Donbas. It is clear that this cannot be accepted by all those who got used to profiting politically or financially from war. In order to resume hostilities, they resort to provocations, the spread of fakes, and traditionally consider PR above saving lives. We strongly condemn this approach to resolving any issues.
In order to refute the fakes and prevent new provocations, an agreement was reached today within the Trilateral Contact Group on a joint inspection in the area of the settlement of Shumy with the participation of a representative of the OSCE coordinator. Legally, the inspection is conducted not by the parties to the military conflict, but by the mediator - OSCE accompanied by representatives of the parties. The OSCE has repeatedly confirmed that all allegations of any violations of agreements by the Ukrainian party are groundless. If someone does not trust the OSCE, let them see the truth with their own eyes. If someone does not understand the possible mechanism of such an inspection, we recommend to recall the activity of the JCCC, as well as paragraph 2 of the set of measures to implement the Minsk agreements - the part that defines the parties on the delimitation line and that was inherited by Ukraine from some "great" diplomats. (For reference. JCCC is the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of ceasefire issues and stabilization of the delimitation line, a bilateral Ukrainian-Russian mechanism established to implement the Minsk Protocol in September 2014).
Yes, Russia refused to work within the JCCC. Every normal person perfectly understands the purpose for which this was done. But the presence of such a purpose does not mean its realism. The extremely limited manifestation of the militants' presence can give nothing to anyone except the only one - another argument in favor of Ukraine's rightness. Once again, together with the international community, we call on Russia to return to the JCCC, and it is absurd to refrain from doing so.
People standing with weapons in front of Ukrainian troops in Donbas are an objective fact. But every political force in Ukraine and society as a whole must do everything possible to ensure that these people never become a political fact. They use hostilities to their advantage. Ukraine will use the truth and the real state of affairs on the delimitation line in order to deprive the invaders of any chance to increase pressure on our state.