KIEV (Sputnik) — The situation in the conflict-torn southeastern Ukraine remains unpredictable because of violations of the Minsk peace deal on Ukrainian reconciliation, the principal deputy chief monitor of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine told Sputnik.
"The situation remains highly unpredictable, especially at the line of contact. And the main reason for this unpredictability is the non-adherence to Minsk [deal]. That in particular relates to moving of positions, which should not happen. It relates to the non-withdrawal and use of weapons. And it relates to the continuation of the mining of the security zone," Alexander Hug said in an interview.
He added that the Minsk peace agreements were violated by both parties to the conflict.
In February 2015, a peace agreement was signed between Ukraine’s conflicting sides in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, after talks of the Normandy Four countries, comprising Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France. The deal stipulates a full ceasefire, weapons withdrawal from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, an all-for-all prisoner exchange and constitutional reforms, which would give a special status to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
