KIEV, June 9 – The Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council has condemned the recent escalation of violence by pro-Russian separatists near Maryinka.

This follows from a joint statement of Verkhovna Rada deputy chairman Andriy Parubiy and co-head of Ukraine-NATO Inter-parliamentary Council from NATO Parliamentary Assembly Raynell Andreychuk.

"We also state on necessity to use diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict with Russia, however admitting that these efforts shouldn't undermine both sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as its indefeasible right to determine its own place in the European order. In this relation we condemn a recent escalation of the violence by pro-Russian separatists near Maryinka, which along with attack on Debaltseve is the fiercest violations of the Minsk II agreement," reads the statement which was released on Monday.