MOSCOW, July 1 (RIA Novosti) – Without a comprehensive ceasefire, peace in Ukraine cannot be restored, Russia's lower house speaker Sergei Naryshkin said Tuesday.
"We believe that without a ceasefire, without starting a dialogue, restoring peace, justice and the rule of law is simply impossible," Naryshkin told reporters, certain that a meaningful dialogue is the only way to save numerous lives.
Earlier Tuesday, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko decided against another extension of the ceasefire in east Ukraine declared on June 20 as part of his 15-step peace plan.
Although the Ukrainian president extended the initial week-long ceasefire by three more days, both the Kiev-backed special forces and the independence supporters in the country's southeast have blamed one another for violating the promise to lay down their arms.
Announcing the decision to call off the ceasefire, Poroshenko stated that protection of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, safety and the lives of civilians require not just defensive, but also offensive actions against independence supporters.
Therefore the armed forces, national guard, border troops and security service are no longer restrained by the ceasefire regime. The statement stressed that Ukrainian troops will not use force against civilians or shell residential neighborhoods.
