OREANDA-NEWS. The United States and the European Union have accused Russia of blocking any solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. «Russia must immediately stop it's aggression in eastern Ukraine and it's occupation of Crimea», US diplomat Rodney Hunter said at a video conference of the UN Security Council on Thursday, February 11. He called on Moscow to «withdraw it's troops from Ukrainian territory, stop supporting its puppets and other armed groups, and implement the commitments made under the Minsk Agreements».

The European member states of the UN Security Council issued a joint declaration condemning the ongoing instability in the Donbas. Russia «clearly violates the fundamental principles of international law by using force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine», the document says. The authors expressed deep concern about the presence of Russian military personnel and equipment in Ukrainian regions not controlled by Kiev.

In turn, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, rejected the accusations against Moscow. Nebenzia, at a video conference called by Moscow, accused Ukraine of failing to comply with the Minsk agreements and support from the French and German «defenders».

Russia in March 2014 annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. Kiev and the vast majority of countries around the world do not recognize the annexation of Ukrainian territory. Shortly after the annexation of Crimea, the United States, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and Canada imposed the first package of sanctions against Moscow. Sanctions against Russia have been expanded due to Moscow's support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine and the supply of weapons to them. Kiev, for it's part, has launched military operations against the armed separatists. According to the UN, about 13 thousand people have been killed in the Donbas since 2014.