Side-event “Freedom of movement limitations and their impact on civilians in Ukraine”

Thus, it would fair for the SMM to indicate in its reports references to the framework decisions taken by the government of Ukraine in this regard, albeit they fall outside the chronological scope of the current Thematic report. [...] The Russian Federation continues to urge the sides of conflict – Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk - to engage constructively into direct dialogue as prescribed by the Minsk agreements and by the commonly agreed conclusions of the Normandy Summits, concerning all aspects of the settlement, including on humanitarian issues. [...] Ensuring genuine freedom of movement of civilians from certain areas of Donbass to the rest of Ukraine and vice versa is one of the goals of the settlement process to this conflict. [...] The only internationally recognized basis for such settlement is the “Package of Measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements” of 12 February 2015, endorsed by the UNSC Resolution 2202. [...] The sooner the “Package of Measures” is implemented in its entirety, the sooner the humanitarian situation on the ground will be significantly improved.