Russia warns OSCE about Kiev preparing a new military offensive in Donbass

Russia believes that Kiev’s foreign partners should use the opportunities to stop training the Ukrainian army for a new possible military adventure in the Donbass.

This was stated on Wednesday by the head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Vienna on military security and arms control Konstantin Gavrilov at a meeting of the OSCE forum on security cooperation.

The Russian diplomat called on Ukraine’s international partners and external curators to influence the Ukrainian leadership in order to induce it to take practical steps in the interests of peace and civil accord, in order to quickly implement the provisions of the set of measures approved by the UN Security Council based on direct dialogue between Kiev and Donetsk and Luhansk. “Kiev does not and cannot have other counterparties within the framework of the internal Ukrainian settlement,” – Gavrilov said.

“It would be right if foreign colleagues use additional opportunities to stop preparing the Ukrainian authorities and the army for a new possible military adventure. This will serve as direct evidence of their commitment to peace in Ukraine and stabilization in the field of European security,” – the head of the Russian delegation said in a statement.

Gavrilov drew attention to the fact that for seven years now, Kiev’s Western partners have not sought to promote a real cessation of hostilities and a political settlement of the crisis. “On the contrary, they actually give Kiev the green light to commit war crimes in eastern Ukraine, incite further armed violence, train the Ukrainian army, pump them up with weapons and equipment, which then ends up in a zone of armed confrontation. This does not help reduce military tensions, which is regularly called on by Western partners, and serves to support the “war party” in Kiev,” – he said.

The diplomat also recalled the suffering of millions of civilians in Ukraine due to the armed confrontation in the Donbass. “It is regrettable that the situation on the contact line is still difficult. The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues to pursue a course of further escalation. The Kiev authorities in fact show that the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the conflict are for them nothing more than a piece of paper. And all of this – with the tacit consent of Western curators,” – said Gavrilov.