One of the most important aspects of the Minsk ceasefire for eastern Ukraine was the removal of heavy weapons from the front lines. Both sides were a bit slow in getting this going, with the rebels just finally starting the pullback over the weekend.
The two sides were supposed to do the pullbacks within two weeks of the ceasefire, and the rebels were about a week in when they began. That’s far better than the Ukrainian military, however, which is now refusing to pull weapons out at all.
The army is claiming that the rare skirmishes ongoing in the nation’s east justify them keeping their military assets on the front lines, even though that’s the opposite of what the ceasefire deal said.
Ukrainian officials, as usual, sought to blame the fighting on Russia, and also claimed they had proof Russia is intending to attack Ukrainian cities soon. Ukraine’s currency, the hryvnia, dropped another 10% today on fear Ukraine’s military is going to sabotage the ceasefire with its determination to stay on a war footing.
Heavy weapons in the Ukraine war were to be moved back only 80 miles, a two hour drive and no big deal.
For if the Ukraine Army is to restart the war, it will be only because our Empire perceives that they can damage the Russian economy in the process.
All the massive damage this US designed coup is doing to Ukraine, how the Ukraine fascist coup can be so stupid as to go along with it, this just blows the mind.
There you go. I had a suspicion they wouldn't. No matter, if and when aggression starts again, we know who's going to keep the upper hand anyway.
The fascists have already made it clear. If Poreshenko honors the cease fire he might be the next to go. As badly as Ukraine needs to regroup the ultra right may not allow any chance of a long term cease fire.
Of course this would not happen if the westerne side actually demanded and oversaw the actions. But it is obviously only play for the publics, we – as usual – are presented for.
Seriously, if laws were made to PUNISH a lack of active reponsibility on public officials, that might change the situation. But alas, this is not in the interests of the same "responsible" person's circles. Quite the opposite: They choose the easiest way to minimise surveillance of performing their duties responsibly. Don't control anything, hide, obfuscate! Because else the public might turn against THEM, even BEGIN TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES! An unverifiaed realiity is their de facto ideal. .
Israeli-style trickery yet again! The Deutschewelle article doesn't say that the Ukrainians are refusing to withdraw heavy weapons "at all". I really don't understand why Mr Ditz makes wild claims and then links us to articles which contradict his claims. That merely undermines his credibility. What the Ukrainians fear is that the mercenaries are dragging their feet over withdrawing their heavy weapons until the Ukrainian military withdraw theirs and will then attack. Given Putin's incessant use of Israeli tactics, that is a reasonable hypothesis. It is also a reasonable hypothesis that similar Israeli-style trickery would be used, as Mr Ditz is doing, to try to claim that the Ukrainians have violated the ceasefire. Isn't that what the Israelis always do? The make a deal with the Palestinians, then claim that the Plaestinians didn't keep their word, so they're not going to keep theirs. I would guess that this is precisely the trap that Hollande and Merkel set for Putin and into which he seems to be falling. Next step is to say that they urged the US to hold off on arming the Ukrainians so as to give ol'Vlad one last chance to make peace. Let's see how long more Putin's neocon backers can hold Obama and Congress back.
Odd you should refer to "Israeli-style trickery." Did you think no one would check your claims?
"What the Ukrainians fear is that… etc." Mr Kenny talks to the Ukrainians every day, to determine what they fear? Does this change from day to day? Please keep us up to date on the latest fear. "Thanks";! PS; if Putin is indeed as you say, in league with his "neo-con" backers; who in god's name could blame him, since he could find no one else in DC who could be trusted. Oh; forgot; Ms Nuland is from the government, and she can certainly be "trusted".