Moscow/Kiev, July 1 (IANS) Moscow “deeply regrets” Kiev’s decision to call off ceasefire in Ukraine’s eastern regions, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
The decision has undermined “important joint diplomatic actions” of Russia, Germany and France over the Ukrainian crisis, Moscow said following a phone conversation between foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France late Monday, Xinhua reported.
“There is an impression that the changing of Kiev’s position happened in contradiction with the position of the European Union’s leading members,” the statement said.
At Monday’s phone talks, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin discussed steps to implement President Petro Poroshenko’s peace plan with his three counterparts and necessary steps to extend the ceasefire.
The Ukrainian president announced a week-long ceasefire by the government forces June 21 to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict, and later extended it to June 30.
However, Poroshenko decided not to extend the ceasefire in the violence-hit regions Tuesday. The Ukrainian troops resumed military offensive Tuesday against insurgents in the eastern regions after the end of the 10-day ceasefire.