Germany and France have urged all sides involved in an increase in cease-fire violations in eastern Ukraine to stop their actions and implement already agreed moves because there is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict.
A joint statement signed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on December 23 also called for a return of Russian officers to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) for the cease-fire in the conflict region.
Ukrainian officials have said that Russia's December 18 withdrawal from the body undermines the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's operations and is an attempt by the Kremlin to force Kyiv into talks with representatives of the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.