You're reading: Poroshenko calls on European Council to support initiative to deploy peacekeepers in Donbas

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) to support an initiative to deploy an international peacekeeping mission in Donbas, saying that the peacekeepers will be complementary to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

“Petro Poroshenko has urged to support the initiative of sending the international peacekeeping mission to Donbas. At the same time, the peacekeeping operation will not be an alternative to the OSCE mission, which has to carry out monitoring and verification throughout the occupied territory,” the presidential press service reported on Poroshenko’s official website.

According to the president, Ukraine has been strictly observing the Minsk agreements, while the other side doesn’t fulfill undertaken commitments.

“We need unity and solidarity of the EU countries. Certainly, we need economic, military and political support, but the main thing is a clear and united position of the EU,” he added.

The president stressed that Ukraine had managed to restore its army ruined by the former government. According to him, our country has also managed to create a powerful volunteer movement, which provides significant assistance in the high-quality maintenance of the troops.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt, who was among the ECFR delegates who met with Poroshenko, said in turn that the Ukrainian authorities must preserve coalition formed after the elections to implement reforms. He added that state reformation was a complicated process, yet essential for Ukraine.