I am very shocked by the news of the military plane shot down near Lugansk. It is appalling that, once again, so many people in eastern Ukraine have become the victims of pointless killing. Our deep sympathy is with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.

Those responsible for this crime must be brought to justice and put behind bars. This does not make a political solution and the talks necessary to achieve it any easier. Anyone who commits or approves of such acts disqualifies themselves from taking part in dialogue. Nevertheless, we need to keep working on taking the next steps towards defusing the situation. In this process, the focus should be on maintaining direct contact between Kyiv and Moscow and controlling the border between Russia and Ukraine.