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Chief of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak says that the Ukrainian authorities are in favor of expanding the mandate of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine to ensure tough control over how the ceasefire in Donbas is being observed.

He made this comment during an online discussion, titled "Conflict in the East of Ukraine: Prospects for 2021" on March 9, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

Read alsoTCG work on Donbas blocked over Russia's stance – Yermak

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"As for the ceasefire – it really has been in effect for all these months. For us, every human life means a great cost and every Ukrainian citizen is very important. [Our] losses have decreased by dozens of times thanks to this truce. But we believe that control over it should be tougher now, and the OSCE should take on more powers," he said.

According to Yermak, the Ukrainian side is convinced that the OSCE SMM "should slightly expand its mandate," while "there are all prerequisites now for the ceasefire to be implemented."

Donbas ceasefire: Background

  • Participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22, 2020, agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27, 2020.
  • The Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported 21 violations of the latest ceasefire agreement committed by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Tuesday, March 9.