NATO condemns escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine

The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg on Monday condemned the sharp escalation of violence along the ceasefire line in eastern Ukraine by "Russia-backed separatists".

The NATO chief made the remarks in a statement after an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, which was held at Monday at Ukraine's request.

Commenting on the new flare-up last Saturday that killed about thirty civilians on residential areas of Ukraine's port city of Mariupol, he said that the attack was launched "from territory controlled by separatists backed by Russia."

"This comes at great human cost to civilians. We express our condolences to the Ukrainian people for these tragic losses," he said.

The aggressive actions and provocative statements of the separatists were in direct contradiction with the Minsk agreements, he said, adding that "despite its repeated commitments to work for a peaceful solution, Russia continues to provide them with support, training, equipment and forces."

"We call on Russia to stop its support for the separatists immediately, to stop destabilizing Ukraine and to respect its international commitments. We urge all parties to continue all efforts without delay to achieve a peaceful solution, in full conformity with the Minsk agreements," he said.

Stoltenberg reiterated that NATO continues its full support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused the Ukrainian government forces of effectively implementing NATO's geopolitical objectives.

He accused Ukrainian authorities of giving up peaceful and political ways to settle the crisis and of taking advantage of the ceasefire to regroup the government troops.

On Saturday morning, Mariupol came under shelling of rocket fire, which hit an open-air market and nearby homes and shops and caused heavy casualties.

The death toll of the rocket attack has risen to 30, while almost a hundred people were wounded, according to local authorities.

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