Russia 'Could Not Have Promised' Donbass Truce as It is Not Party to Conflict

Moscow did not promise to ensure complete cessation of hostilities in Donbass since Moscow is not party to the conflict between Kiev and the Donbass republics.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Moscow has not pledged to ensure full cessation of hostilities in the crisis-torn eastern Ukraine, because Russia is not party to the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"Moscow could not have promised [a full cessation of hostilities], because it is not a party to the conflict in Donbass," Peskov said, answering a question about reported Russia's promise to Germany.

On September 1, a new ceasefire regime came into force in the region. The ceasefire agreement was reached between Ukraine’s conflicting sides during a Contact Group meeting in August. Media reported that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Moscow promised Berlin to ensure respect of ceasefire in Ukraine.

Kiev launched a military operation in the country's east in April 2014 after the local residents of Donetsk and Lugansk regions refused to recognize new Ukrainian authorities, which came to power after a coup earlier the same year.

In February 2015, Kiev and the two regions reached a ceasefire in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Despite the Minsk peace accords, both sides to the conflict have continued to blame each other for multiple ceasefire violations.