The possibility of the full-scale resumption of hostilities in the parts of eastern Ukraine seized by pro-Russian separatists was discussed at an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine on Wednesday, Radio Liberty has reported.
In particular, UN Assistant Secretary-General Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen, in his report on the situation in Ukraine, said that the upsurge in fighting came amidst regular reports from the OSCE of an influx of large convoys of heavy weapons, tanks and troops flowing into rebel-held areas and stressed that a failure to secure the Russian-Ukrainian border was a factor that continues to impede the path to peace.
OSCE representative Heidi Tagliavini recalled the illegality of the so-called "elections" staged by separatists on November 2, as well as other flagrant violations of the Minsk agreements, including the ongoing fighting.
U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Samantha Power recalled that the major causes of the conflict in Ukraine remained unchanged - the flagrant violation by Russia of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"[Russia] talks of peace, but it keeps fueling war," she said, adding that the United States has evidence that Russian troops are in Donbas.
No resolutions were considered at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
An urgent Security Council meeting was convened at the request of the United States after recent reports that Russian Armed Forces units and military equipment entered the east of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove confirmed that over the last two days NATO had recorded the movement to eastern Ukraine of convoys of Russian tanks, artillery, air defense systems and combat units.