Since the ceasefire collapsed last month, the Eastern Ukraine rebels have had a decided advantage, fending off military offensives and launching counter-offensives of their own to retake formerly lost parts of the Donetsk Oblast.
The boosted morale has the rebels talking about growing, and taking more territory, with one of their top leaders saying he aims to see the force recruit 100,000 fighters.
The military has also been talking up increasing its conscription, with an eye on massing more troops into the east. Both sides seem to believe that a settlement of the conflict means military victory.
The rebels are saying they’re no longer willing to hold ceasefire talks at any time, and instead say they’re conditioning future negotiations on the military declaring a ceasefire first.
That doesn’t seem likely on either side, as the Ukrainian government has similarly tried to place all sorts of conditions on a ceasefire, and for now it seems neither is particularly open to a diplomatic settlement.
"…recruit 100,000 fighters."
Pure hyperbole – almost as good as "Mission Accomplished" and "spreading democracy" and who could forget "American Exceptionalism."
Putin must be really in deep trouble! 100 000 fighters? They'll have to conscript people to reach that number and that'll make Ol' Vlad really popular! As for the "decided advantage", Mr Ditz is once again making wild claims that his source doesn't bear out. Sounds like panic at both ends! An amusing aside: the more the pro-Putin faction in the US hypes a "rebel" victory, the more likely thay make it that the US will arm and train the Ukrainian army up to NATO standards.
No problem MURIKAN TROOPS AND MISSILES ARE ON THE WAY-as is – —>WW4 (3 has come and gone as you sheeple never noticed)..>>>standby..