Dmitry Tymchuk, Head of the Center for Military and Political Research, Coordinator of the Information Resistance group, Member of Parliament (People’s Front)
05.23.2017 (May 23, 2017)
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Concerning the statement by Alexander Hug, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

We cursed our military leadership for forbidding our troops to return fire when they were being shelled by Russian-terrorist troops in Donbas. But here is a short quote from a recent interview given by the deputy head of the OSCE SMM, Alexander Hug, to the Latvian radio station, Baltkom: “… Both sides violate the ceasefire, both sides still use heavy weapons, both sides utterly fail to keep their promises under the Minsk agreements.”

Of course, Mr. Hug does not specify which side starts the shelling and armed provocations, and which is merely forced to respond to them. The upshot after his words is that the responsibility for violating Minsk lies not exclusively with Moscow and the terrorists, but with Kyiv and the “LDNR” as well. Our Western partners do not go into the details, either – they listen to Hug and draw corresponding conclusions about Ukraine.

We have been through the times when only the UAF observed the “silence,” while our guys quietly died under the fire from Russian “Grad” multiple rocket launchers without firing back. We know what the outcome of that is. So now we expect from the OSCE not statements that both sides are “shelling,” but a fundamental and objective approach to their monitoring work. Somehow, the OSCE SMM has a very one-sided and simplistic understanding of their functions, placing half the blame on the side that is not only a victim of external aggression but now is also portrayed as a bloodthirsty monster.

No, Mr. Hug, combining truth and Kremlin propaganda to please everyone is not a valid option. You have to choose one or the other.

– Dmitry Tymchuk, IR coordinator

Source: sprotyv.info 

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