The United States considers Russia the main obstacle to peace in Donbas

The US Charge d'Affaires at the OSCE, Courtney Austrian, stated that the major obstacle to peace in Donbas is Russia.

Austrian stated this during a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna, Ukrinform quotes.

"Russia's military activity in and around Ukraine, along with the Kremlin's increasingly hostile rhetoric in recent months, is unfounded and dangerously provocative. The main obstacle to peace is Russia. This is a conflict started by Russia, and it is now fully responsible for ending it," she noted.

"We call on Russia to cease its aggression, adhere to the ceasefire, fulfill its Minsk obligations, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine's sovereign territory," Austrian added. "We call on Russia to take a constructive part in the Trilateral Contact Group and open all checkpoints along the line of contact to ensure the free movement of civilians."

The American diplomat noted that the Russian aggression in Ukraine, which had been going on for eight years, had already led to more than 13,000 deaths, tens of thousands of wounded, resettlement of about 1.6 million people, and huge damage to critical civilian infrastructure.

She also called on Russia to allow the OSCE SMM to fulfill its mandate and monitor the entire territory of Ukraine, including in the Russian-controlled territory in the East and in the Russian-occupied Crimea.