The presence of the UN peacekeeping contingent in the east of Ukraine can pave the way for holding local elections during the year, authors of the new report.

US Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker advocated sending peacekeepers to the country a few months ago. Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently made it clear that he could support the idea of ??deploying a small contingent.

A new report, commissioned by former NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is now an adviser to the Ukrainian president, calls for sending 20,000 troops from non-NATO countries, primarily from Sweden. It is hoped that the deployment of such a contingent will allow holding local elections in the east of Ukraine during the year, which is one of the key provisions of the Minsk agreements of 2015.

The report will be presented to representatives of all parties at the Munich Security Conference to be held this week. The first deputy head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, Alexander Hug, in an interview with "Voice of America" ??enthusiastically responded to the report.

"This is a matter of willingness of those in whose power to put an end to this conflict. Any additional measures that will facilitate this, including further monitoring, but also any other tools, should be welcomed.. As for the potential UN mission in eastern Ukraine, this issue should be decided by the UN Security Council, "said Hug.

The OSCE notes the escalation of the conflict in the first weeks of 2018: one day, up to 1,000 ceasefire violations were recorded.

According to Hug, 700 civilian observers working in the country often face obstacles preventing them from doing their job on the front line.

"This is done with the help of passive obstacles, mine obstacles and other physical obstacles on our way that are not eliminated and represent a violation of the Minsk agreements. However, there is also an active intervention in the work of our patrols. We are stopped at checkpoints and are not allowed further, we are intimidated, and in the most serious cases we are threatened with the use of fire, "he said..

Since April 2014 in the east of Ukraine, more than 10,000 people died. At the same time, according to Hug, the majority of civilians do not approve of either the conflict itself or its goals.

"The fact that up to 40,000 Ukrainians every day cross this line in both directions is very encouraging. Usually, the contact line is also a section line. But not in the case of this conflict. They do not have this line in their heads, it's a tragic reality at the scene.

I think that from the point of view of peaceful citizens who bear the burden of this conflict on their shoulders, a dialogue is necessary, and they express it every day ".

High-ranking representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France (the so-called "Norman Quartet") will discuss the conflict in the margins of the Munich Conference, which will begin on February 16. Russia, being a permanent member of the Security Council, can veto any initiative to send a peacekeeping mission to the country.

Source: Voice of America.