OSCE PA President Ilkka KanervaCOPENHAGEN, 5 November 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today expressed concern about the recent uptick in violence in eastern Ukraine and called on all parties to the conflict to do their utmost to promote conditions conducive to a political settlement.

“I am concerned by the increase in violence over the last days in eastern Ukraine, particularly in Donetsk oblast, and the threat that this presents to the ceasefire, which has largely been holding, as well as to the weapons-withdrawal process and the overall context for advancing a political resolution. There can be no more setbacks or delays to the peaceful, political settlement that the people on all of Ukraine’s territory want and deserve. I call on all parties, and in particular the illegal separatist entities, to refrain from violence and demonstrate full commitment to implementation of the Minsk Agreements,” President Kanerva said.

“I also note the recent jamming of one of the Special Monitoring Mission’s UAVs after it observed tanks in separatist-held territory and other continuing restrictions imposed on the OSCE’s monitoring abilities. These restrictions contravene the letter and the spirit of the Minsk Agreements and must stop,” he added.

President Kanerva plans to discuss the situation on the ground and other topics with high-level interlocutors from the Ukrainian government and parliament in the coming days.