Ukraine's armed forces are ready to help the work of observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Donbas, Ukraine's Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has said.

"Ukraine fully supports the position on the free movement of the mission personnel and their unimpeded access to the facilities. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to provide support and assistance to the observers," he said during a meeting with Head of OSCE SMM Ertugrul Apakan, the Defense Ministry reported on its website on Tuesday.

Poltorak said the activity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is aimed at strict observance of the requirements of the Minsk agreements and the fulfillment of Ukraine's commitments to settle the situation solely through political and diplomatic means.

In turn, Apakan noted the Ukrainian army's assistance in ensuring the security of the mission, as well as efficient cooperation with representatives of the Ukrainian side in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC).

The premise for peace is a ceasefire. The main goal of the SMM is to establish peace in Donbas, he stressed. Apakan also said that the well-established communications with the Ukrainian military are of great importance for the observers' work in Donbas.