Moscow accuses OSCE of pro-Ukraine bias
November 14, 2014, 4:48 pm

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said the OSCE mission failed to mention “numerous facts” of violations of the peace accord reached in September in Minsk as well as international humanitarian norms in regions under Kiev’s control [PPIO]

“We are concerned about the approach the OSCE special monitoring mission in Ukraine has been demonstrating lately,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“There is an impression that its efforts are aimed at supporting and assisting only one side in the conflict, the Kiev authorities,” it added.

It added that the mission failed to mention “numerous facts” of violations of the peace accord reached in September in Minsk as well as international humanitarian norms in regions under Kiev’s control.

“Its reports systematically give detailed accounts of movement of the military units of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, but ignore the data on military preparations and concentration of attack Ukrainian attack forces along the contact line,” the ministry said.

“They also fail to notice numerous facts of violation by the Ukrainian military of not only the Minsk agreements of the Contact Group, but also international humanitarian law norms, as well as the rampage of neo-fascists and nationalists in the Kiev-controlled regions. They also hush up the cases of Ukrainian security agencies’ pressure on OSCE observers. Such policy of the mission’s leadership undermines trust to its work,” it added.

The Minsk protocol was signed by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics under the OSCE auspices.

OSCE representative Ilkka Kanerva complained Thursday the mission has been restricted to report only what it sees passing through the official crossing along the “tiniest strip” of the porous Russia-Ukraine border.

With both Russia and Ukraine, alongwith NATO, alleging renewed troop movement on the border, China has expressed grave concerns over the possibility of more conflict.

China on Wednesday urged all parties in Ukraine to immediately implement the Minsk agreement so as to ensure that ceasefire is achieved.

Nato Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove has claimed the body can vouch for Russian military equipment and Russian combat troops entering Ukraine this week.

Even as Western statements are fueling fears of a return to all-out conflict are growing, Beijing reiterated its position at the UNSC, that “a political solution is the only way out on the question of Ukraine”.

Meanwhile, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has increased its presence near the Russian border. Nato has said it is concerned about Russian humanitarian convoys of trucks that it alleges is taking artillery and supplies into eastern Ukraine.

More than 4000 people have died since the conflict broke out in April.

TBP and Agencies