Berlin Urges All Sides In Ukraine Crisis To Comply With Geneva Deal

Berlin, April 23, IRNA - Germany called on all sides in the Ukrainian conflict to comply with the Geneva agreement, brokered last week by the United States, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union. Talking to the Berlin-based rbb-Inforadio on Tuesday, German government coordinator for Russia Gernot Erler criticized both sides in the Ukrainian conflict for not doing enough to implement the Geneva deal. All sides have to press forward with the disarmament and refrain from committing acts of violence, he said. Erler stressed the Geneva accord offered the best hope to date of defusing a stand-off in Ukraine that has dragged East-West relations to their lowest level since the Cold War. Russia alleged Monday that the Ukrainian government had not complied with the Geneva agreement. ˈThose who knowingly cross the line of unleashing civil war ... are carrying out criminal policies, and we will not only condemn but thwart them,ˈ Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted saying in Moscow. He lashed out at the government in Kiev for not fulfilling the accord that calls for clearance of occupied public buildings and squares in all of Ukraine. ˈNot only are they not fulfilling the Geneva accord, they are also taking steps to violate them,ˈ he said, saying that protestersˈ barricades in Kiev should be cleared. Pro-European protesters in the capital continue to man barricades months after a pro-western government took power following the ouster of president Viktor Yanukovych. Leaders of pro-Russian militias, who have occupied government buildings in eastern Ukraine, have said that they will ignore the agreement as long as the Kiev barricades stand. However, the militia leaders emphasized that since they have not signed the accord, they donˈt feel bound by the Geneva deal. Lavrov said that a deadly incident in the eastern city of Sloviansk during the weekend indicated the Ukrainian government ˈis unable or maybe unwilling to control the extremists who are still calling the shots.ˈ At least three pro-Russian supporters were killed and three were injured when their checkpoint was attacked by armed men Sunday outside the city. The Russian foreign ministry said it had evidence that the Ukrainian ultra-nationalist group Right Sector carried out the deadly assault./end