MOSCOW, October 15 (RIA Novosti) - The truce in Ukraine is in a fragile state, despite all the agreements signed in Minsk, Russian presidential administration head Sergei Ivanov said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper Wednesday.
"All that is connected with Ukraine can hardly be forecasted now, especially if we speak about long-term forecasts. The truce is very fragile, despite all the agreements signed in Minsk," Ivanov said.
"A huge amount of blood was spilled: thousands of people were killed, tortured. Against this backdrop, it is very difficult to negotiate, to trust the partner. The truce, I repeat, is very fragile. But, in my opinion, all parties to the conflict, I am referring to the militias and the central Ukrainian government, understand … that there is no alternative," Ivanov added.
"First, it is necessary to establish the truce," Ivanov stated. "And it will later, I am absolutely convinced, serve as a basis for political dialogue. As long as people are shooting at each other, no dialogue is possible, of course," Ivanov said.
On September 5, the trilateral Contact Group met in Minsk to agree on a ceasefire deal between the Ukrainian government and independence supporters. Nevertheless, it has been reported that Ukrainian forces were constantly attacking the positions of independence supporters at the Donetsk Airport and shelling residential areas in the region.
The military operation initiated by Kiev authorities in mid-April to suppress independence supporters in eastern Ukraine has claimed the lives of 3,700 people and left over 8,800 injured, according to the latest UN estimates.
