NEWSLINK: Ukraine Cease-Fire to End Friday Evening If Talks Fail; Heavy Fighting Rages Around Several Separatist Strongholds in East
[“Ukraine Cease-Fire to End Friday Evening If Talks Fail; Heavy Fighting Rages Around Several Separatist Strongholds in East” – Wall Street Journal – Lukas I. Alpert – June 27, 2014]
The Wall Street Journal reports on the planned expiration of a ceasefire between Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists in an eastern region of the country, and Russian calls for an extension.
The Ukrainian government said a cease-fire with pro-Russian fighters would end Friday evening if last-minute talks failed to yield an agreement, even as heavy fighting raged around several separatist strongholds in the east of the country.
… Putin repeated his call for Ukraine to prolong its weeklong cease-fire. … Poroshenko, who is pushing a peace plan, has warned it would be difficult to continue if the militants in eastern Ukraine were unwilling to make any concessions.
The ceasefire has been shaky, although the Ukrainian military has reportedly shot back only when attacked:
Rebels said they would join the Ukrainian government’s cease-fire on Monday, but the results have been shaky, with both sides accusing the other of instigating continuing violence. Ukraine’s government has said its army is only shooting back when attacked during the cease-fire, but warned that if talks failed there would be a tougher response.
Separatists attacked a national guard base Friday, making gains before running out of ammunition.
Meanwhile, border checkpoints with Russia reportedly have been closed to thwart the flow of fighters and support.
Early Friday morning, the militants launched a sustained assault on a national guard base in the regional capital of Donetsk, killing one government soldier and wounding two others, and capturing the base commander in a battle that lasted for hours. Kiev said the guardsman ultimately surrendered part of the base after running out of ammunition.
… Lysenko also said that Ukraine closed five border checkpoints between Ukraine and Russia that lead into the contested parts of the country. Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of sending heavy weaponry and fighters across the porous border to join the rebels-a charge Moscow has denied.
