You're reading: Washington waiting for ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ taking steps towards ceasefire

The U.S. authorities said they hope separatists and rebels in Ukraine's east would back their promises on ceasefire by words, U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf said on June 23.

“We’ve seen those claims. But again, actions have to back up the words,” she said a daily briefing in Washington.

Harf said that the U.S. administration “would support any side taking steps to work towards a ceasefire.”

“Obviously, we need to see those steps taken to support the words
that we’ve now seen from President Putin and others,” Harf underscored.

According to Washington, quite the contrary, the situation in the eastern Ukraine worsened lately.

“We have seen evidence of continued Russian military support to the
separatists, and a new ongoing build-up of Russian forces on the
border,” she said.

Previously the leadership of the Donetsk People’s Republic said it
hopes talks on the peaceful settlement of the conflict will start before
June 27, Alexander Borodai, prime minister of the self-declared Donetsk
People’s Republic, said on Rossiya 24 television.

“The ceasefire deadline remains the same – 10 a.m., June 27. We would
like to say that a monitoring regime will be organized by the Russian
side and on the part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe. We hope that all through the period of ceasefire on both sides
we will manage to come to terms and start consultations on how the talks
on the peaceful settlement of the conflict will proceed,” Borodai said.

He also said that the illegal armed groups are ready to stop fighting
in response to a similar move by the Ukrainian side. “In response to
ceasefire by Kyiv we pledge to stop fighting on our part,” Borodai said.