BRISBANE, Australia, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The European Union said on Saturday that the Ukraine crisis can only be resolved by political solutions including sanctions.
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, made the remarks at a press conference at the international media center for the G20 Leaders Summit in Australia's Brisbane.
"The EU foreign ministers will on Monday assess the situation on the ground and discuss possible further steps. We need to avoid a return to full conflict," he told reporters.
He stressed that all parties should abide the Minsk agreement achieved in September, saying "the rebels, Ukraine authority must apply maxim restraint, and Russia must apply all its influence to the rebels, to insure the implementation of the agreement."
Over last week, particularly on the night of Nov. 9, hostilities in Ukraine were at their worst in months, with a heavy exchange of artillery shelling in and around Donetsk.
The tension has escalated since Ukrainian authorities decided to repeal law which grants "special status" to Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which raised fears that a process of prisoners-of-war swap may be disrupted.
The Ukrainian government and the insurgent leadership inked a ceasefire deal on Sept. 5 in the Belarussian capital city of Minsk, aiming at de-escalating the tension and facilitating the release of hundreds of prisoners-of-war.
But after Kiev decided to abolish the law on "special status" of the two regions, the insurgent leadership said they will not observe the Minsk peace protocol.
MOSCOW, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Friday accused the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) special monitoring mission in Ukraine of presenting biased pictures and supporting Kiev.Full story
KIEV, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Fierce fighting between government troops and independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine resulted in heavy casualties over the past day, officials said Friday.Full story
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