EU raises its tone against Russia in Ukraine

European Council President Charles Michel and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Shchastya in the Luhansk region of Donbass on March 2, 2021. via REUTERS - PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, continues his tour this week in the countries of the Eastern neighborhood of the European Union, after Georgia, then Moldova, he arrived today in Ukraine, and he went directly to the front line in Donbass, together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Charles Michel was thus able to collect the concerns of the Ukrainian authorities, who note an upsurge in fighting recently, and he took the opportunity to raise his voice towards Russia.  

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Kiev

,

Stéphane Siohan

This is the first time that Charles Michel has visited Donbass, the scene of the only war on the European continent, and his visit comes after the Ukrainian army has just lost in February 11 soldiers, victims of bombardments, or of anti-personnel mine explosions, the highest toll since the establishment of a ceasefire in August 2020.  

"

It is a shameful reality, people continue to die in this conflict

", declared the President of the European Council, during a speech with the Ukrainian Head of State, in the small town of Shchastya, on the front line, where the separatists refuse to open a crossing point, despite the commitments made by Russia in December 2019.  

Charles Michel recalled Europe's support for Ukraine's territorial sovereignty, he called for a ceasefire, but he also toughened the tone vis-à-vis Moscow, firmly recalling that "

the Russia was a stakeholder in this conflict, I quote, and not a mediator

”.    

He stresses that Russia has not put in place the positive measures that Ukraine has already applied in the framework of the Minsk agreements, and that as long as this is the case, European sanctions against Moscow will remain in place.

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Russia

• Ukraine

• European Union