“I extend my deepest condolences to the family of the American paramedic who was killed when his vehicle hit a landmine in Ukraine over the weekend. The international personnel serving in the OSCE mission in Ukraine are working hard, at great personal risk, to keep an eye on the devastating and deteriorating conditions in that country and hold aggressors accountable. The car was driving in the Russian-backed separatist territory in eastern Ukraine. I therefore call upon Russia to provide full support for an investigation of this incident. More broadly, the onus is on Russia to ensure that there is full implementation of the Minsk agreements. The violence must end in eastern Ukraine, a decision that ultimately can only be made in Moscow.”

– Sen. Ben Cardin, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the senior Democratic senator on the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, in a statement released on April 24.