KIEV (Sputnik) – There is still a long way to go to establish sustainable peace in Ukraine's Donbass region despite all efforts made by Ukrainian diplomats to settle the issue by political and diplomatic means, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Saturday.
"Regardless of the great efforts that the country’s leadership and our Ukrainian diplomats are making to solve the issue of the liberation of the Ukrainian territory by political and diplomatic means, the situation, unfortunately, is still very far from sustainable peace. In these difficult circumstances we particularly appreciate and support Armed Forces and National Guard of Ukraine," Poroshenko told the 112 Ukraine TV channel.
Ukraine's authorities have been conducting a military operation in the country's eastern regions since April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new government in Kiev. In February 2015, Kiev and the Donbass militias signed a ceasefire agreement but, despite the deal, both sides have been reporting violations of the ceasefire.
