OSCE Chairperson and German Foreign Minister Steinmeier calls for immediate end to fighting in Ukraine

BERLIN, 4 February 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today expressed deep concern following the recent increase in ceasefire violations in Eastern Ukraine and  called upon all sides to fully comply with the ceasefire and to immediately end all fighting.

Referring to reports from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, which in recent days have noted a rapid deterioration in the security situation in the Donetsk region and the use of heavy weapons, Steinmeier said: “The implementation of the Minsk Agreements is the only way forward and to this end a sustainable ceasefire is imperative.”

Steinmeier, commending the dedication of the monitors of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, stressed that SMM must be able to fulfill its mandate without restrictions: “The monitors must be given freedom of movement, and all the sides must ensure their safety and security”.