KIEV (Sputnik) — Establishing peace in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbass is the main priority for 2016, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday.
"I have determined the following priorities for 2016: first of all, to ensure peace," Poroshenko told reporters.
He added that in 2016 Donbass should return under Kiev's control.
Kiev has been conducting a military operation in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbass since April 2014. In February 2015, Kiev and representatives of Donbass self-proclaimed people's republics signed a deal on the Ukrainian reconciliation in Minsk, including a ceasefire and the withdrawal of weapons from the line of contact.
The current ceasefire has been largely observed since September, according to the OSCE.