U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has welcomed the start of withdrawing forces and means in Stanytsia Luhanska (Luhansk region) by Ukrainian military and said that now Russia should take mutual further steps to strengthen the ceasefire in Donbas.
“A good step by Ukraine at Stanystia-Luhanska. Now it’s up to Russia to take reciprocal further steps to strengthen ceasefire including withdrawing heavy weapons and disarming illegal armed formations,” Volker wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) reported that the first stage of the withdrawal of Ukrainian units under the supervision of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission took place at Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint on Wednesday afternoon. Commander of the JFO, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrsky also personally observed the withdrawal of troops. According to him, this was the first stage of withdrawing the sides from the outskirts of Stanytsia Luhanska.
