Burkhalter confirmed that political will on all levels – national, regional, and local – was key to overcoming stalemates. He trusted that Ukrainian authorities would engage constructively and if necessary with confidence building measures to resolve critical situations.

He called on the European Union, the Russian Federation and the United States to lend full support to the work of the Ukrainian authorities and local communities as well as to the Special Monitoring Mission. In this regard, he asked all parties of the Geneva Statement to publicly call on all stakeholders in Ukraine to refrain from violence, to swiftly liberate illegally seized buildings and unlawfully occupied streets, squares and places, and to disarm.

Burkhalter underlined that effective implementation of the Geneva measures will require full commitment by all sides to co-operate and proceed through dialogue over an extensive period of time.