Separatist leader expecting Ukrainian army “blitzkrieg” after 27 June

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(Interfax – June 26, 2014) The ceasefire agreement established between Kiev and East Ukraine’s self-proclaimed republics’ leaders is not being observed and there is no point in extending it, “Donetsk People’s Republic” government co-chairman Myroslav Rudenko (Miroslav Rudenko), was quoted as saying in a report by privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax on 26 June.

“How can something that never happened be prolonged? Our roadblocks have been fired at several times by the Ukrainian military, Slovyansk sufferred a mass shelling, there was the attempt to storm Donetsk, and all this happened while the so-called ceasefire was in effect,” Rudenko was quoted as saying. “The Ukrainian military intended to use the ceasefire to strengthen its military position from the very beginning,” he said.

“There is information that they are using this [ceasefire] regime to boost their forces and conduct a blitzkrieg against us after 27 June. They will tell the world community that a ceasefire had! been declared but the militants allegedly did not observe it, which would be a lie. They will do that to be granted an indulgence for stepping up the [military] operation in the southeast in the eyes of Western leaders,” he said.

At the same time Rudenko did not object to negotiations. “There have been no negottiations so far, but rather we have had consultations. They have no legal effect. The Ukrainian side were neither official nor accredited. If you want to negotiate then let us do it. Recognize our sovereignty, putt the troops away and then we will talk,” Rudenko was quoted as saying.

 

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