The fighting in eastern Ukraine must be permanently ended as swiftly as possible. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin agreed on this point when they spoke by telephone. Renewed efforts must be made to secure the cessation of hostilities.
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Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken again by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Once again they focused on the situation in eastern Ukraine and the further implementation of the Minsk agreements.
Over the last few days fighting in the eastern Ukrainian Donbas region has again claimed numerous lives. In view of the recent escalation, the two leaders expressed their hope that the fighting would soon come to a complete and permanent end. The Chancellor called on the Russian President to use the influence he has over the separatists to this end.
Both praised the efforts of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, which has, they agreed, done much to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground.
The Chancellor and the Russian President agreed that renewed efforts must be made to secure the cessation of hostilities. Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin asked their ministers of foreign affairs and their foreign policy advisors to remain in close contact.
Over the last week, eastern Ukraine has seen heavy fighting with numerous lives lost. The population, especially in the town of Avdiivka, has faced a desperate situation, as supplies of essentials broke down completely. Almost 20,000 people had to do without water or electricity for days on end, as temperatures dropped to -15° Celsius.
On Monday, at the government press conference, federal government spokesperson Steffen Seibert welcomed the fact that fighting in eastern Ukraine had lessened over the weekend. He reported that electricity supplies to Avdiivka had been restored.
Looking at the terrible suffering of the population of the town of Avdiivka, he said, it is vitally important "that hostilities be ended on a lasting basis, to make it possible in particular to restore the damaged infrastructure, including the water supply."
In this context, said Steffen Seibert, he would like to point out "that the prime responsibility for the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which is still an integral part of Ukrainian territory, lies with the separatists who are still receiving massive support from Russia".
The German government thanks the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission for their work in Ukraine under dangerous conditions. "They are on duty round the clock and they have done much to help ensure that local cessations of hostilities are agreed and respected," said Steffen Seibert. This gives rise to the repeatedly voiced demand "that the OSCE observers must continue to be given safe and unhindered access to the areas affected by fighting".
The worst affected towns are Avdiivka in Ukrainian-controlled territory and Yasynuvata in the area controlled by separatists. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission still recorded 8,600 ceasefire violations over the weekend in the areas around these two towns.
Speaking at the government press conference on Wednesday (1 February), Steffen Seibert reasserted that, "the German government strongly condemns this latest escalation in eastern Ukraine".
"Both sides are urgently called on to respect the agreed ceasefire and to refrain from any reciprocal provocation," continued Steffen Seibert. The German government condemns the use of heavy weapons in particular. Under the provisions of the Minsk agreements, "they should be nowhere near the contact line".
In the name of the German government, the spokesperson called for an "immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities". This call was directed clearly at all parties to the conflict.
When he visited Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday (30 January), Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reported that separatists had shelled Ukrainian positions from residential parts of Donetsk and Yasynuvata using heavy artillery. Several people were killed.
The German government and its partners within the EU and at transatlantic level are still of the opinion "that the lifting of sanctions will depend on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements" stressed Steffen Seibert. "Our intensive endeavours are directed at achieving progress in terms of implementing what has been agreed in the Normandy format; that is together with France, Ukraine and Russia."
Progress "is anything but satisfactory", since there cannot be said to be any lasting ceasefire. "But we will not stop demanding progress and working towards it – obviously with both partners," said the government spokesperson.