MEPs addressed Russia and the international community with regard to the escalation of the situation in Donbas and tensions caused by build-up of Russian military forces close to Ukraine.

“Russia’s attempts to further destabilise the situation in Donbas are to be assessed and contained. MEPs call for the EU action!” Lithuanian politician Petras Auštrevičius, MEP from Renew Europe, leader of an informal group of friends of Ukraine in the European Parliament, posted on Twitter.

He also published the text of a joint statement signed by 18 leading European politicians from Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Romania, Estonia, and France.

“It is with great concern that we witness the ongoing build-up of Russian military forces and provocations in eastern Ukraine and close to Ukraine. We deeply deplore the continuous loss of life and other damage inflicted on Ukraine.

We call on full adherence to the text and spirit of the Minsk agreements and the agreed ceasefire. We urge Russia to take active steps to reduce tensions by ending its military buildup in and close to Ukraine, ceasing its military provocations and intimidation against Ukraine,” reads the document.

The European politicians also appealed to the international community and leaders of democratic countries to express their concern and strong disapproval to the actions of the Russian authorities.

“We will continue to closely monitor the situation in eastern Ukraine in order to de-escalate tensions and eventually reinstate the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the MEPs summed up.

Amid tensions in eastern Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden had his first phone conversation with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, 2 April. During the conversation, the American leader reaffirmed the unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Bohdan Marusyak

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