		<div class="wpcnt">
			<div class="wpa">
				<span class="wpa-about">Advertisements</span>
				<div class="u top_amp">
							<amp-ad width="300" height="265"
		 type="pubmine"
		 data-siteid="111265417"
		 data-section="2">
		</amp-ad>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div><p>An American observer has been killed by a landmine which blew up a monitoring team vehicle in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine. Two members of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe mission, from Germany and the Czech Republic, were wounded in the blast in Luhansk on Sunday.</p>
<p>Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE, called for an investigation and said on Twitter &#8220;those responsible will be held accountable&#8221;. In Washington, the US State Department expressed shock and sadness and extended condolences to family and friends of the victim, who was not identified.</p>
<p>Spokesman Mark Toner said the US &#8220;again calls upon Russia to use its influence with the separatists to take the first step toward peace to eastern Ukraine and ensure a visible, verifiable and irreversible improvement in the security situation&#8221;.</p>
<p>He added: &#8220;This death underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which these courageous monitors work, including access restrictions, threats and harassment. &#8220;The United States urges Russia to use its influence with the separatists to allow the OSCE to conduct a full, transparent and timely investigation.&#8221;</p>
<p>The State Department said US secretary of state Rex Tillerson phoned Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko to discuss his recent trip to Moscow and his message to Russia that Moscow&#8217;s actions in eastern Ukraine remain an obstacle to improved relations with the US.</p>
<p>Mr Tillerson accepted Mr Poroshenko&#8217;s condolences for the OSCE observer&#8217;s death and the two leaders agreed that &#8220;this tragic incident makes clear the need for all sides &#8211; and particularly the Russian-led separatist forces &#8211; to implement their commitments under the Minsk Agreements immediately&#8221;, the department said.</p>
<p>The self-proclaimed security ministry for the Russia-backed separatist rebels in Luhansk said the mine had been laid by Ukrainian forces. The rebels and the Ukrainian government have been fighting in eastern Ukraine since 2014 in a war that has killed more than 9,900 people.</p>
<p>The monitoring mission assesses compliance with the two-year-old Minsk peace deal that was to bring a ceasefire and the pull-back of heavy weapons. It also conducts work on human rights and civil society issues as well as mine-awareness programmes.</p>
			<div style="padding-bottom:15px;" class="wordads-tag" data-slot-type="belowpost">
				<div id="atatags-dynamic-belowpost-68ec782b188ed">
					<script type="text/javascript">
						window.getAdSnippetCallback = function () {
							if ( false === ( window.isWatlV1 ?? false ) ) {
								// Use Aditude scripts.
								window.tudeMappings = window.tudeMappings || [];
								window.tudeMappings.push( {
									divId: 'atatags-dynamic-belowpost-68ec782b188ed',
									format: 'belowpost',
								} );
							}
						}

						if ( document.readyState === 'loading' ) {
							document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', window.getAdSnippetCallback );
						} else {
							window.getAdSnippetCallback();
						}
					</script>
				</div>
			</div>
Discover more from London Glossy Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
