Ukraine, separatists blame violation of new truce – expat guide to Germany

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Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Russian separatists accused each other on Thursday of violating a new ceasefire, as Western countries welcomed a seemingly modest easing of tensions.

Kiev has been fighting a pro-Moscow insurgency in two breakaway regions in eastern Russia bordering on Russia since 2014, shortly after the Kremlin annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

Western countries accuse Russia of plotting to invade Ukraine and of assembling around 100,000 troops on the borders of the former Soviet country.

On Wednesday evening, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to restore a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

On Thursday, however, Kiev and the separatists accused each other of further violations, and a separatist representative denied that a new truce had been negotiated.

“There is no deal,” Rodion Miroshnik, a representative of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, told the Telegram messaging app.

“But if you really want to make a statement about one, why not do it?” “

Authorities in Donetsk also claimed that a civilian was injured Thursday morning on the outskirts of their de facto capital, Donetsk, in an attack by forces from Kiev.

The Ukrainian army, for its part, reported that the separatists launched three attacks on its positions on Thursday.

The military said in a statement that the separatists used large caliber mortars and grenade launchers, but did not report any casualties.

All previous ceasefire agreements – including the previous truce agreed to in July 2020 – have collapsed.

– ‘Respect the ceasefire’ –

On Wednesday evening, the representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office in Ukraine, Mikko Kinnunen, said in a statement: “I was delighted that the participants expressed their firm determination to fully embrace the measures to strengthen the agreement. July 22, 2020 ceasefire. “

The statement was released following a meeting of Ukrainian, Russian and OSCE officials – known as the Trilateral Contact Group – and representatives of small breakaway states.

Germany and France welcomed the announcement.

“We urge the parties to respect the ceasefire and to continue discussions on new measures in the humanitarian field,” spokesmen for the countries’ foreign ministries said in a joint statement.

Ukraine has expressed cautious optimism over the deal.

“For the first time in a long time, there is a feeling of a real possibility of securing a ceasefire on the line of contact,” Andriy Kostin, a Ukrainian representative, said in a statement earlier Thursday.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the separatists had always respected the 2020 truce and accused Kiev of violations.

“We expect Kiev to honor all of its commitments to ensure a lasting ceasefire in eastern Ukraine,” she said.

The fighting has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of sending troops and weapons across borders. Moscow has denied these allegations.

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