Statement by the President of the European Council Donald Tusk on the situation in Ukraine

Since last Sunday the European Union has been devoting all efforts to make the Minsk II Agreement work, even in the face of continued ruthless attacks on Debaltseve and other regions by the separatists militarily supported by Russia.

Today, we have to face the reality that almost one week later there have been more than 300 violations of the ceasefire. People are still dying. We are clearly reaching a point when further diplomatic efforts will be fruitless unless credibly backed up by further action.

For this purpose, I am now consulting European Union leaders on the next steps. These will be directed to increase further the costs of aggression on eastern Ukraine, as well as other contributions to de-escalation such as the Ukrainian President's proposal for how the EU can help improve the monitoring of the ceasefire. Only words matched with deeds will in the end bring real hopes of a political solution to this conflict.

On Sunday I will travel to Kyiv to express my solidarity with the people of Ukraine in these difficult times.

European Council

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/02/150220-statement-tusk-ukraine/