Ending the flow of weapons from the Russian Federation to eastern Ukraine was the main topic during negotiations in Berlin on Sunday, August 17, but Russia did not offer any guarantees, said Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin.
“In Berlin yesterday we talked about the fact that (each side) has to do everything in (its) power to block the border in order to stop the shelling of our territory and to stop the armed men, guns and heavy weapons from crossing the border with Russia into our territory,” Klimkin told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday, August 18.
Klimkin said he made it clear that the Ukrainian side is committed to a bilateral ceasefire.
“But in order for the simple ceasefire to take place, and to avoid creating a game around this issue that literally is of vital significance, we need three things: for the border to be completely secure, for the OSCE to monitor the ceasefire everywhere, especially along the border, for all the hostages to be freed, and for there to be an end to any further hostage taking,” he said, adding that the last demands pertain particularly to the Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, “who was kidnapped from Ukrainian territory in a completely inhumane fashion.”
Klimkin stressed that Ukraine is not making any artificial demands.
“We want the ceasefire to be really bilateral and effective. This is possible only if Russia takes prompt and effective steps toward de-escalation,” he said.
“We discussed all this. I really had hoped to hear clear commitments from the Russian side, but I heard mostly words. But we will work even with words,” Klimkin concluded.
As previously reported, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine met in Berlin on Sunday, August 18, in an attempt to negotiate an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
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Translated by Anna Mostovych
