Russian Envoy to OSCE Says West Must Stop Backing Ukrainian War Hawks

Speaking at the meeting of the OSCE's permanent members in Vienna, Russian Ambassador to the OSCE Andrei Kelin said the United States and other Western countries must stop backing those Ukrainian officials who are waging war in the country's east.

MOSCOW, January 29 (Sputnik) — The United States and other Western countries must stop backing Ukrainian war hawks rampaging in the country's east, Russian Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Andrei Kelin said Thursday.

Speaking at a meeting of the OSCE's permanent members in Vienna, Kelin appealed to Washington and other countries that may be able to exert an influence over the Ukrainian authorities to stop the violence in southeastern Ukraine.

"It is high time to stop indulging Ukraine's party of war, local hawks, and justifying their inhumane actions. It is unacceptable to push them toward the continuation of war in eastern Ukraine. Development of the situation in this direction can lead only to a major catastrophe," Kelin said.

According to estimates by the Joint Center on Control and Coordination, nearly 30 civilians were killed and over 55 injured in the period between January 23 and January 27 in southeastern Ukraine, Kelin said.

"Neither Washington nor London, let alone Ottawa, have urged the Ukrainian authorities to stop their fatal actions," Kelin added.

The conflict in southeastern Ukraine has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people since last April. Fighting in the region has intensified dramatically over the past weeks with multiple instances of deadly shelling killing dozens of civilians in Donetsk, Mariupol and other cities.

In its annual world report Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that the use of indiscriminate weapons, such as Grad multiple rocket launchers, by the Ukrainian government forces in fighting independence supporters in the southeast of the country has resulted in the killing of large numbers of civilians.