MOSCOW – Moscow agrees to the arming of OSCE monitors who are working on the contact line in Donbas with firearms, but at the same time finds the idea of creating an OSCE police mission to contradict the Minsk agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
“We are ready to increase the number of monitors on the contact line and in warehouses, making this presence round-the-clock and enable monitors to carry personal firearms,” he said.
“I think it will be useful and will help calm down the situation on the contact line and may help stop regular withdrawal of heavy weapons from warehouses in violation of the obligations under the Minsk agreements. Such violations are committed primarily by the Ukrainian armed forces,” he said.
“If by an armed OSCE mission you meant the idea that is now being promoted from Kyiv, that an armed police mission should be deployed in Donbas to ensure law and order there, this idea absolutely contradicts the Minsk agreements,” Lavrov said.
