This was said in the EU statement on Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and illegal occupation of Crimea, which was made public at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on Thursday, September 17.
"Today is the 57th day of a relative truce on the contact line. However, the ceasefire is fragile and we are deeply concerned about attempts to violate it, in particular the recent incidents that have resulted in casualties among Ukrainian soldiers. We condemn unacceptable statements by Russian-backed armed groups that provoke tension and threaten to use violence," the statement says.
At the same time, the European Union said that it values Ukraine's restrained approach, which involves seeking solutions to reduce this tension within the Trilateral Contact Group.
The EU also said that this situation once again confirms the need to ensure proper coordination in order to respond to violations of the ceasefire and a possible similar escalation in the future. "We reiterate our call for Russia to return to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC)," the report notes.
