At the stroke of midnight, the eastern Ukraine ceasefire went into effect, and after an escalation of fighting in the hours leading up to it, it appears to be mostly holding in the early hours.
Despite the ultranationalists saying they don’t intend to abide by the deal, both the rebels and the military have mostly stopped fighting, with President Poroshenko saying the deal has to be honored.
Of course ceasefires are never perfectly smooth, and both sides have accused the other of violations, each centering around artillery fire in the minutes following midnight.
What firing has been reported seems to be restricted to the contested town of Debaltseve and surrounding villages, with the rebels claiming their fire was retaliation for troops inside the town firing at them after the ceasefire deadline.
The September ceasefire went much the same way, with both sides claiming repeated violations for months on end, but the fighting largely halted from the beginning of September through the truce’s collapse in mid-January. Even if the ceasefire isn’t complete, it should give locals a much needed rest from the civil war.
Laboring-class — No relief in sight
This rebellion is primarily between the rich ruling class, the fourth of society that owns 80% of the wealth, with the corporate rich in the heavy industry and mining sectors being pro-Russia, with the other industries being pro-West and wanting to join the EU and NATO.
For the educated middle-class, the 25% of society not quite smart enough to ever be rich, they are the slave drivers of society and for the most part function in full submission to the rich who supply them an income.
For the uneducated lower half of society, the impoverished laboring-class, neither the European Union nor Russia care to acknowledge their existence, let alone offer any enticement to win them over. For even though laboring men do 95% of all the bleeding and dying in war, they are the slaves of society and to elevate them to any degree of importance could set the stage for a slaves rebellion.
Most profound, as the primary concern is what type of economy would yield the maximum profit from enslaving the laboring-class, a Russian socialist type or the sever austerity of Western capitalism?
Once again, just to balance Mr Ditz's fit of neutrality. But this time an odd, and as far as I can tell, totally fictitious, ramble but which, as with his other comment, repeats the fake leftwing version of the neocon propaganda line..
As with his other article, Mr Ditz's sudden fit of neutrality suggests that the "rebels" are losing the fight.
Putin blinked first, will now lay claim to saving Russia from a war, his publicist will cover his butt with fluff, and the Ukraine Seperatist will get butts kicked bigtime.His banty rooster strutting is safe and as the EU and Russian buisness oligarchs sit and divide Russiaswealth the Russian people will get back to work making a living once again.
Putins RUSSIAN allies know a war will destroy their wealth and positions and already thereare rumblings among populace due to shortages and hundreds of thousands of graduates no longer being courted by Euro and US firms.
Interesting story tonight from Andrew Kramer of the NY Times. Apparently 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers are surrounded at the strategic crossroad city of Debaltseve. The fate of this surrounded army occupied 8 of the 16 hours of the peace talks. Some are speculating the entire fate of the war and the current government depends on what happens with these soldiers. There is speculation if these troops are captured Ukraine Poreshenko would be done and the country could plunge into mob rule.