Russian UN Resolution on Regulating Ukrainian Crisis Helpful – German FM

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted that Russia's draft resolution on regulating the Ukrainian crisis could help stabilize the situation.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The resolution Russia submitted to the United Nations Security Council on regulating the Ukrainian crisis could help stabilize the situation in conflict-torn Donbas, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Monday.

"Would consider UN Security Council resolution to be helpful. Could help stabilize the situation. Hope for an early vote," Steinmeier said, as quoted by the German Foreign Ministry Twitter account.

The foreign minister urged Kiev and the Donbas militia to withdraw heavy artillery and continue efforts on the new Minsk agreements. Steinmeier also expressed concern about situation in the contested town of Debaltsevo, and called for security guarantees for Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitors to oversee ceasefire.

On February 14, Russia submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council approving Minsk agreements on Ukrainian reconciliation. Moscow hopes that the document will be accepted unanimously, Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Following a 16-hour-long summit in Minsk, the leaders of Russia, France, Ukraine and Germany hammered out a deal on Ukrainian reconciliation Thursday. The agreement, stipulating ceasefire observed by OSCE, prisoner swaps and weaponry withdrawal, was signed by envoys from Kiev, self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Moscow and OSCE.