Steinmeier Calls Situation in Ukraine ‘Explosive’

Violence has broken out in Ukraine with renewed force and both conflicting parties are accusing each other of the violation of the ceasefire.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is anxious about new outbreaks of violence in Ukraine and warns of further escalation of the conflict.

"The situation in the Eastern Ukraine is explosive," Steinmeier told Bild am Sonntag. "If both parties do not start to build on the peace process soon, a new military escalation could be triggered."

During talks with the Ukrainian and the Russian Foreign Minister, Steinmeier suggested that "the military of the warring parties and the OSCE should come together […] as soon as possible to discuss possible ways of the situation’s de-escalation and the withdrawal of weapons."

The Minsk Agreement, signed by the Trilateral Group on Ukraine in February 2015 failed to stop the violence in the country and resolve the crisis. The conflict has broken out with renewed force, with heavy explosions and shelling steadily taking place in the eastern parts of the country.

Armed clashes in the past 24 hours claimed lives of at least four civilians, with 23 others being injured, the news agency DPA reported, referring to a number of Ukrainian and Russian reports.

Earlier, Kiev authorities accused the Donbass militias of violating the truce by carrying out artillery attacks near the city of Mariupol. Donbass forces claimed their non-involvement.