“A full ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, complete access for the OSCE SMM [Special Monitoring Mission] all the way to Ukraine’s international border, free and fair local elections in the Donbas and the reinstatement of Ukraine’s control over its international border are all indispensable elements of Minsk implementation. Sanctions must remain in place until Russia fulfills the commitments it made when it signed the Minsk Agreements. …
“It is unfortunate that the Russian Federation continues to deny that its aggression against Ukraine is in violation of its international commitments. On January 26, Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov claimed Russia had not violated the Budapest Memorandum, because the agreement only obligates Russia not to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. In fact, in signing the Budapest Memorandum, the Russian Federation reaffirmed its obligation to ‘refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.’ This statement is a confession of the violation. International law, as confirmed by the U.N. General Assembly as well as the Helsinki Final Act, obligate and commit Russia to reverse its actions in Crimea.”
– U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Kate Byrnes, speaking in Vienna on January 28 at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as quoted by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in its “Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing.”
“The United States condemns the continued detention of Nadiya Savchenko, Oleh Sentsov, Oleksander Kolchenko, Stanislav Klikh, Mykola Karpyuk, Akhtem Chiygoz and all other Ukrainians unjustly held in Russia and in Russian-occupied Crimea. Human rights groups estimate that there are currently at least 20 such cases.
“The United States continues to monitor Ms. Savchenko’s trial closely. On February 1, Ms. Savchenko, who continues her hunger strike in protest of her illegitimate and ongoing imprisonment and prosecution, testified in her own defense. She implicated a former employee of the Russian presidential administration and the former head of the so-called ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ by name as having abducted her from Ukraine in June 2014.
“These serious charges should be fairly considered and all evidence examined. However, the judges have refused a defense motion to summon these individuals to testify and have shown contempt throughout the trial for their obligation to ensure a fair, equal and transparent process.
“…The charges against Ukrainian citizens held for politically-motivated reasons should be dismissed. These individuals should be released immediately and, in the case of those being held within Russia, be allowed to return to Ukraine. The failure of Russia to do so continues to contravene its OSCE commitments as well as its commitments under the Minsk agreements.”
– U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Kate Byrnes, speaking on February 4 in Vienna at the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.