You're reading: Klimkin: Sole purpose of bilateral ceasefire is to restore Ukrainian territorial integrity

Brussels - A bilateral ceasefire in eastern Ukraine can have only one purpose, i.e. the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday, July 22.

“Next steps, among them a bilateral ceasefire, should aim to restore
the territorial integrity of Ukraine, as the terrorists are exercising
operative control over a part of our territory now,” Klimkin said after
he had met with colleagues from 28 EU countries attending the Foreign
Affairs Council session.

He praised the session results and the resolution on Ukraine passed by the EU foreign ministers.

“It [the resolution] demonstrates that the EU is on the Ukrainian side,” he stressed.

“We have spoken [with the European ministers] about political
pressure [on Russia], various levers of influence and the listing of
Donetsk and Luhansk separatists amongst terrorist organizations,” the
Ukrainian foreign minister said.

He pointed out to a changed attitude of the European Union, which, in
the media opinion, had been slow on taking resolute measures as regards
Russia.

“Proposals on sectoral sanctions [against Russian economic entities] must be ready the day after tomorrow, and this is a tangible move,” the
minister opined.

Klimkin confirmed that the Ukraine-EU association and free trade
agreement would soon be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada and would take
effect immediately after its ratification.