Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Roman Mashovets met with Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg to discuss the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine and near its border and possible ways to deter Russian aggression.
Roman Mashovets thanked Sweden for the continued support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and for Sweden's readiness to discuss ways to improve security in Europe.
The Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine drew attention to Russia's accumulation of military forces along Ukraine's borders, which would soon double in number, as well as to Russia's escalation of the situation in eastern Ukraine and its violation of the ceasefire. He stressed the importance of coordinated action at the international level to prevent the situation from escalating and bring Russia to justice for its military actions.
"If Russia refuses to offer reasonable solutions, we and the entire international community will clearly see who is to blame for the destabilization of the situation," said Roman Mashovets.
The Deputy Head of the Office of the President paid special attention to the unwillingness of the Russian side to implement the previously reached agreements and to adhere to the course of a peaceful settlement of the conflict, which places all responsibility on the Russian leadership. He suggested working out an effective mechanism to ensure a clear record of violations of the "silence" regime.
For his part, the Swedish Ambassador drew attention to the efforts of Sweden, in particular in the context of the country’s OSCE presidency, aimed to ensure the transparency of Russia's military action in accordance with its commitments under the 2011 Vienna Document. He praised the Ukrainian side's efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully and return to the ceasefire.
"Ukraine adheres to the rules of international law and international humanitarian law," Tobias Thyberg said.
The Ambassador noted that Sweden will continue to pay great attention to the situation in eastern Ukraine and near its eastern borders and will support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state.