“Friends and colleagues, we meet in Hamburg today to reaffirm the same idea that tied us together in Helsinki 41 years ago: that our collective security is directly linked to the growth of our economies and the protection of basic human rights.

“…Our task begins in actions where places of violence and assaults on human dignity persist, even where a clear path to peace is staring us in the face.

“…the conflict in the Donbas and the occupation of Crimea have gone on for too long, and at tremendous human cost on both sides of the line of contact. It is in the interests of all concerned to end the suffering and the stalemate, and that is why the United States continues to support France and Germany in their efforts as mediators within the Normandy format. It’s why we strongly back the Trilateral Contact Group of the OSCE, Ukraine and Russia. It’s why we renew our call for full implementation of the Minsk agreements. And it’s why we are so appreciative of everything done by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission.

“At the same time, we must not allow ongoing violence and occupation to obscure the longer-term challenge that Ukraine is tackling: the task of building a healthy democracy with institutions that deliver. And the fight against corruption and for reform is what the people of Ukraine rightly recognize as the decisive battlefield. That’s what they signed up for, and their determination to live in a democratic society governed by the rule of law demands our support. …”

– U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking on December 8 in Hamburg, Germany, at the opening session of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).