Deeply concerned about security situation in Donbass

"We express our deep concern about the considerable deterioration in the security situation in parts of the Donbass region in the past two weeks. Armed attacks on areas under the control of the government are continuous and significantlly increased shelling and use of heavy and banned weapons clearly violate the Minsk Agreements. We regret the fate of new victims and express condolences to their families," said the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament, Elmar Brok, and the Chairman of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, Andrej Plenković.

"We are worried that the free movement of OSCE monitors is not possible in the militant-controlled areas of Donbass. Attacks on the unarmed and civilian mission of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), especially the setting on fire of their vehicles in Donetsk, represent a serious breach of international humanitarian law and impede impartial monitoring and verification of the ceasefire regime.

Strict implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Agreements of 5 and 19 September 2014 and 12 February 2015 by all sides is crucial for finding a long-term solution for the peaceful reintegration of the temporarily-occupied territories into Ukraine’s constitutional and legal system.

The completion of the constitutional reform and decentralisation of Ukraine, provided for under the Minsk Agreement, are particularly important in the context of the forthcoming October 2015 local elections.

Therefore it is essential to stop the escalation of violence, tensions and conflict, by putting an end to Russia's aggressive policy. We expect strong messages at the forthcoming ministerial meeting of German Chancellor Merkel, French President Hollande and the Ukrainian President Poroshenko in Berlin and high-level dialogue in Brussels next week.

The democratically-elected Ukrainian Government has demonstrated strong commitment to the implementation of the reforms driven by the Association Agreement signed with the EU over a year ago.

We will support and encourage the Ukrainian authorities in continuing with the reform agenda. We reiterate once again strong support for Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the European Parliament's readiness to assist Ukraine on its European path," they concluded.