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Russia warns against derailment of Minsk ceasefire accord

Xinhua, February 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Russia on Wednesday urged all confronting parties in eastern Ukraine to stop hostilities everywhere in line with the Minsk agreements reached last week.

"We stand for the omnipresent (ceasefire), including in the Debaltsevo area," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters, stressing that there are no alternatives to the ceasefire in Ukraine.

Although the ceasefire is generally observed by conflicting sides up till now, there are attempts to break through the Debaltsevo encirclement through military forces rather than negotiations, according to Lavrov.

He expressed hope that the situation in Debaltsevo, where about 8,000 Ukrainian troops have been reportedly surrounded, would not be used to derail the peace process in Ukraine.

"To calm down the situation, it is necessary to stop using arms and attempts to change the current ceasefire starting from midnight of Feb. 15," Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying.

Noting that common sense must eventually reign, he urged to put "the task of saving the lives of trapped soldiers above everything else."

Kiev authorities have repeatedly denied that government troops were encircled by militia in Debaltsevo. On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the government forces are withdrawing from Debaltsevo "in a planned and well-organized manner."

Moreover, Lavrov said that the situation in eastern Ukraine justifies Kiev's refusal to carry out a constitutional reform, a provision envisaged in Thursday's Minsk agreements.

The minister also slammed U.S. Vice President Joe Biden for his "threats" to introduce more sanctions against Moscow, using Debaltsevo as an excuse.

"This is one more proof of Washington's non-constructive stance," Lavrov said.

"We expect responsible politicians in the West to act in the interests of Ukrainian people and Ukrainian state instead of stirring up tensions and proving their leadership by such statements."

In a telephone conversation with Poroshenko, Biden said that "if Russia continues to violate the Minsk agreements, including the most recent agreement signed on Feb. 12, the costs to Russia will rise," according to an official statement released late Tuesday. Endi