Comment by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the OSCE’s roadmap for settlement of the internal Ukrainian crisis

With regard to the announcement by the Swiss President, Current OSCE President, Didier Burkhalter, concerning the start of the implementation of the roadmap for settlement of the internal Ukrainian crisis, Russia confirms it supports these efforts, as they were announced during the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and Didier Burkhalter in Moscow on the 7 May and their phone conversation on the 11 May.

We deem it extremely important to launch a consistent implementation of the roadmap as soon as possible. Its key provision is to stop violence, which requests an immediate end to the punitive actions of Kiev in the South-East. Populated areas should be unblocked, regular troops and other armed formations, including forces of the Right Sector and contractors, should be pulled out. According to the roadmap, all the political detainees should be freed. We also request an end to the practice of threatening civilians by the use and threat of the use of force. We expect that if Kiev takes such steps, the leaders of the self-defence force of Donbass and Lugansk will react accordingly.

The section of the roadmap regarding the investigation of all acts of violence deserves special attention. We are convinced that the absolute priority is to organise an unprejudiced and transparent international joint investigation of the tragedy in Kiev on the 2 May and all the cases of armed attacks on civilians in the South-East of Ukraine in recent days. We appeal to the OSCE to obtain full cooperation from Kiev in these issues.

The implementation of the aforementioned provisions of the roadmap would create conditions for the beginning of a wide national dialogue with the participation of all the political forces and all regions of Ukraine, which is aimed at bringing about a settlement and a comprehensive constitutional reform, which should prevent further movement of the country towards a disaster.

13 May 2014