Provocations in eastern Ukraine: Separatists thwarting uneasy truce


Pro-Russian terrorists keep attacking Ukrainian forces: there has been an increasing activisation of the militants aimed at provocation near the border with the Russian Federation, censor.net.ua reports.

‘Recently, we see an increasing activisation of the militants aimed at provocations near the border with the Russian Federation. Thus, with the aim of a provocation and escalation of the conflict the militants are unrolling the positions and fire from the areas near the state border of Ukraine, thus provoking our forces to return fire to further accuse the ATO forces in firing in the direction of the Russian Federation,’ ATO Speaker Vladyslav Selyeznev said on his Facebook

Despite these provocations, according to Seleznyev, the ATO forces and Border Service of Ukraine provide for the protection and defense of the state border.

On June, 21 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of June 16 this year, which supported the president’s plan on the peaceful settlement of the situation in the eastern regions of the country. But the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic refused to recognise the terms of truce: it has violated the regime of ceasefire more than 20 times.

Poroshenko’s plan envisions guarantees of security for all parties to negotiations, an exemption from criminal liability for those who did not commit serious crimes and who lay down their arms, and the freeing of hostages. Other points of Poroshenko’s peace plan include the establishment of a 10-kilometer buffer zone at the Ukrainian-Russian border, ‘the withdrawal of illegal armed groups’, and a guaranteed corridor for leaving Ukrainian territory.

The EU hopes that Russia will support the peace plan for the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine proposed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in Luxembourg on Monday.

‘[Ukrainian] President [Petro] Poroshenko has presented a strong plan, a very good peace plan. We hope now everybody, including Russia, will work with that, that what [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin said about supporting the plan will be translated into action by Russia,’ he said, noting that ‘in the absence of that, the European Union will be able to take further measures, further sanctions on Russia, and those measures are already prepared.’

On June, 22 Vladimir Putin supported Petro Poroshenko’s ceasefire decision on the south-eastern regions, the press-service of the Russian President said. At the same time, Putin drew attention that without practical actions to start a negotiation process the plan would not be viable and realistic. ‘The Poroshenko peace plan should not be an ultimatum to the rebels. The ceasefire gives a chance to enter into dialogue and arrive at political compromises between the warring parties in eastern Ukraine,’ he said.

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