Ukraine insists on the expansion of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine in Donbas along with an improvement in the monitoring procedure, First Deputy Chairperson of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada, envoy of Ukraine in the Tripartite Contact Group's humanitarian subgroup Iryna Gerashchenko has said.

She wrote on Facebook on Friday, March 10, that she had met with European delegates led by Director of the European External Action Service (EEAS) for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation, and OSCE Luc Devigne, who have returned from Donbas.

"[We've] exchanged opinions about the effectiveness of the OSCE SMM. Ukraine insists on its expansion and improvement of the monitoring procedure," Gerashchenko wrote.

In addition, the parties discussed issues related to talks on the release of prisoners of war, security matters and the humanitarian situation in Donbas.

"I've briefed [the European side] on the pace of talks on the release of hostages within the framework of the Minsk group, where we are at the stage of engaging the mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which will be a precedent for the engagement of such a mission, but we are open for [everything to find ways for] the liberation of our guys," she wrote.

They also touched on the fight against corruption. "[I've] stressed that the Ukrainian side has created the necessary institutions, and now it is very important that they could work independently of anyone; it will only contribute to real achievements and the process," Gerashchenko said.

She also said that the European delegation had brought "good news about financial assistance to Ukraine."