Germany and France, which have played a mediating role in tensions between Russia and Ukraine, called on Saturday for “regulation” and “immediate expansion” between the two countries, saying they were “concerned about the escalating ceasefire violations,” AFP reported.
Diplomats from the two countries reaffirmed their support for “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and said they were “concerned about the escalating ceasefire violations in Ukraine since July 2020.” For a joint statement.
Berlin and Paris call for “control and immediate expansion”, while calling for “a more vigilant approach to the situation, especially the movements of Russian forces.” In recent days, Ukrainian and US officials have expressed concern about the arrival of thousands of Russian troops and equipment on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
US President Joe Biden has pledged “undeniable” support for Kiev in the face of “Russian aggression” and considered a separatist military godfather.
The Russian military on Friday also announced military maneuvers aimed at simulating a defense against a drone strike in a region near Ukraine.
More than 13,000 died
Since the record was set in eastern Ukraine in the second half of 2020, clashes between separatists and Ukrainian forces have escalated since January, with each side blaming themselves.
Twenty Ukrainian soldiers have died in three months, up from 50 last year. The war, which claimed more than 13,000 lives in eastern Ukraine, began in Kiev in 2014 after a pro-Western revolution, followed by the annexation of Crimea by Moscow.
France and Germany are parties to the “Normandy” talks with Russia and Ukraine, and participated in the negotiations for the Minsk Peace Accords, which ended in February 2015.
Both diplomats call on the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (MSOU) in Ukraine to “end restrictions on freedom of movement.”