The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has denied a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine is allegedly preparing to conduct a "military operation" in Donbas, and called on Russia to comply with the ceasefire.

"A statement of the President of Russia about Ukraine's alleged preparation of a 'military operation' in Donbas is not true. Ukraine strives exclusively for peace. The constant efforts of the Ukrainian leadership to move from the place of the peace process, primarily in the Normandy format, vividly illustrate Ukraine's devotion to the political and diplomatic path settlement of the armed conflict,'" spokesperson of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Oleh Nikolenko told the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.

He emphasized that moreover, the head of the office of the President of Ukraine and the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group had done titanic work to achieve the resumption of the ceasefire.

"We call on the Russian Federation to focus on fulfilling the ceasefire agreements and ending the international armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. People on both sides of the contact line in Donetsk and Luhansk regions deserve peace and tranquility, especially on the eve of the New Year holidays," Nikolenko said.