“We welcome the adoption by EU Member States of a new package of restrictive measures against Russia within the third level of sanctions in accordance with the Conclusions of the European Council special meeting of 30 August.

We urge the European partners to implement this important decision without any delay in order to change the aggressor’s behaviour and ensure that Russian side fulfills the conditions clearly identified in the European Council Conclusions, primarily:

-         immediate withdrawal of all its military assets and forces from the territory of Ukraine;

-         closure of common border and ensure respective monitoring by the OSCE in order to stop the illegal flow of militants and armaments from the territory of the Russian Federation;

-         release of Ukrainian citizens illegally imprisoned in Russia.

Recent arrangement of the Trilateral contact group must not create any illusions: so far the Russian side has not fulfilled key demands of Ukraine and the EU. We should neither forget about the illegal annexation of the Crimea which will never be recognized by the international community.

Only a smart combination of diplomatic efforts and consistent motivating pressure by the EU are able to establish favourable conditions for implementation of the Peace Plan of the President of Ukraine based on ensuring the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and European choice of Ukraine".