02 March 2021, Tuesday, 19:14 165

EU Will Finance Development Of Checkpoints In Donbas In 2021 - Council Of Europe President Michel

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

The European Union will finance the development of checkpoints in Donbass this year.

This was announced by President of the European Council Charles Michel during a joint trip to Luhansk region with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"A complete ceasefire, the opening of more entry-exit points and further demining work will improve the lives of people on both sides of the contact line. The EU stands ready to support these efforts ... The EU has provided significant assistance to Ukraine to mitigate the impact of the conflict. This year we are starting a new program to support economic development and the provision of public services in the region. It will include funding for entry-exit points," he said.

Zelenskyy noted that the Russian side, which insisted on the opening of the Schastia checkpoint, continues to block its work, like Zolote.

"Unfortunately, the aspirations of the Ukrainian side (towards the development of the Schastia checkpoint) collide with the absolutely destructive position of the Russian Federation," he said.

Zelenskyy also recalled the lack of unhindered access of international humanitarian organizations to the affected population and illegally detained persons, the increase in recent weeks of constant provocations by illegal armed groups and, as a result, the death of the Ukrainian military.

"This approach is destructive. It complicates the situation and the path to peace," he said.

Zelenskyy called on Michel to mobilize EU pressure on Russia.

The President of the European Council, in turn, said that "the war on the European continent is ashamed."

“Unfortunately, Russia did not reflect the positive steps that Ukraine took to implement the Minsk Agreements. That is why our economic sanctions against Russia will remain. Russia is part of the conflict, not a mediator,” he said.

According to him, the European Union expects from the Russian Federation full access to the uncontrolled territories for the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"The COVID-19 pandemic should not be used as a reason to further delimit these territories from Ukraine," he said.

He also called on Russia to return to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on Tuesday, during a trip to Donbas with Michel, Zelenskyy was vaccinated against coronavirus as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, along with military.