Talking about the unprecedented, the largest since 2014, build-up of Russian military forces on Ukraine’s eastern border and in the territory of the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula, the diplomats assessed it as extremely disturbing and posing a threat to international security.

At the same time, they stressed that the situation is further aggravated by the lack of the Russian Federation’s constructive response to diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions and reducing the risk.

The ministers expressed their concern over the concentration of the Russian Federation’s troops in the Donbas region and at the Ukrainian border. Such actions result in the polarisation of the situation in Donbas which recently has deteriorated significantly. The heads of diplomacy of Poland and the US agreed that it is necessary to continue supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression. They stated that actions – including sanctions measures – must be taken to persuade the Russian Federation to ease tensions in its relations with Ukraine and to fully commit itself to implement the Minsk agreements. 

Minister Rau informed Secretary of State Blinken about the outcome of the visit he paid to Kyiv on 8 April 2021 to discuss the recent polarisation of the conflict in Donbas. The chief of Polish diplomacy underscored that when Poland takes over the OSCE chairmanship in 2022, it will pay special attention to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The ministers agreed that preserving Ukraine's territorial integrity is of paramount importance and that the country’s borders must not be disputed by anyone.

The officials also discussed NATO’s continued involvement in Afghanistan and the future of the Resolute Support mission. They agreed that it is necessary to continue support for the Afghan peace process and initiatives to stabilise the situation in the country.

 

MFA Press Office