The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Asthon has expressed concern about the situation in Eastern Ukraine and urged Russia to cease any actions that would further destabilise Ukraine.
“I am gravely concerned about the surge of actions undertaken by armed individuals and separatist groups in various cities of Eastern Ukraine, who have seized in the last 24 hours police stations and branches of the Ministry of Interior and erected check points around the city of Slavyansk,” Ashton said in a statement.
“The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission plays and must continue to play a crucial role in actively observing and reporting about these developments and thus contributing to prevent a further escalation of the situation,” she said.
Asthon reiterated “the EU’s strong support for Ukraine’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and call upon Russia to do so as well.”
“To this end, the Russian Federation is urged to call back its troops from the Ukrainian border and to cease any further actions aimed at destabilising Ukraine,” Asthon said.
