Germany urges Minsk accord implementation in Ukraine

Berlin, Aug 18 (IANS/EFE) Germany described the situation in eastern Ukraine as "explosive" and called for immediate compliance with the Minsk agreement, which it sees as the only viable way forward, while others consider the treaty a lost cause.

Germany is unwilling to admit that the Minsk agreement is nothing more than a part of history, German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schafer said on Monday.

The ceasefire was established between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and mediated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, but its implementation since February has left much to be desired.

Schafer said that the German government is of the position that violence committed by either side has no place in the path to stabilise eastern Ukraine.

The German official thus urged all parties to implement the Minsk agreement and help the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, which reported on Sunday that both sides used heavy weapons that are banned under the treaty.

According to the latest UN figures, about 7,000 people, including combatants and civilians, have died in 15 months of conflict.

--IANS/EFE

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